Top Tips for Becoming a More Sustainable Traveler

As much as many of us love to travel, there's no denying that it's not necessarily great for the environment. With climate change and global warming becoming increasingly bigger threats, it's more important than ever to re-evaluate our travel styles and how they impact the planet. This doesn't mean we need to stop traveling, but it encourages us to take a step back and see what small but meaningful changes we can make. Most of these are super simple to implement but can be much more effective than you might think.

Here are some of our tried-and-tested tips for traveling sustainably.

Travel Overland Where Possible

One of the most considerable travel-related contributions to climate change is flying. In some cases, it's unavoidable for various reasons, but it's among the first things we can try to cut back on to reduce our carbon footprints.It goes without saying that trains and buses can take significantly longer to get you from A to B, but switching to overland transport is much less harmful to the environment. Traveling on land will more often than not be much kinder to your wallet, too!

Bring Reusable Bags From Home

Even if you don't tend to cook much when you're abroad, there's a good chance you'll need to frequent the supermarket or local shop at some point. This is especially true if you're traveling for extended periods.Rather than picking up single-use plastic bags every time, simply pack a reusable shopping bag or tote that you already have at home. They're incredibly convenient to pack, generally folding up neatly, and they can be used for a plethora of purposes besides carrying your groceries.

Stick to Restaurants That Use Local Ingredients

Sampling the local cuisine when traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures, making this a pretty easy travel habit to keep! When you opt for local establishments rather than international eateries, you can experience the local culture and enjoy fresher ingredients while also doing your bit for the environment. Local spots that cook using regional produce typically have a short supply chain, meaning limited fuel was used to transport the goods. Better still, such restaurants are often owned by locals and not by large international companies.

Opt for Locally Operated Tour Companies

Often, particularly in destinations that see a lot of tourists, many of the tour operators are actually foreign-owned. It's not always the case, but it's not uncommon for these companies to pay poor wages to local staff, with the rest of the profits taken back out of the country. To better support the country's economy and ensure staff get adequate pay, try to seek out locally-owned companies when booking excursions and activities. This can take a little more time and consideration, but it goes a long way for smaller businesses.

Pack a Filtered Water Bottle

Over the course of even a one or two-week trip, you'd be amazed at how many plastic bottles you make your way through. Thankfully, you can easily avoid this by investing in a filtered, reusable water bottle. While they sometimes seem expensive at first, if you travel a lot, these bottles can save you a lot of cash in the long run. When visiting a country with drinkable tap water, you may run through fewer plastic bottles, but it's still a good idea to pack a reusable alternative.

Slow Down the Pace of Your Travel

The less transport we take, the less impact our expeditions have on the world around us. Of course, there's no way to travel without transport, but minimizing how frequently we rely on it can allow us to explore the planet more sustainably. Reducing the speed at which we travel is the only way to do this, and it usually means visiting a handful of places rather than trying to tick off every hotspot in a country. This style of travel also gives you more time to dig deeper into the culture rather than losing hours or days on the move.

Be Selective About Wildlife Activities

Animal tourism is more popular than ever, but it's not always conducted with the well-being of these creatures in mind. In fact, it's generally to their detriment and more about creating profits for humans. It can take plenty of research to determine which wildlife-based activities are ethical and sustainable. Nowadays, many operators declare themselves sanctuaries despite mistreating the animals they claim to care for. If you want to add an animal encounter to your travel itinerary, it's best to do so with an outing that involves visiting their natural habitat.

Pack Light

This is undoubtedly something many of us struggle with, and even those who travel regularly can find it challenging to keep their packing to a minimum. However, packing light not only makes your travel experience much less hassle than having to drag around a heavy bag, but it also means you'll be reducing the weight you take on the plane. It may seem rather insignificant, but if everyone traveled with more lightweight luggage, planes would burn through much less fuel. In short, you'll be doing yourself and the environment a favor!

Limit Your Visits to Overly Touristic Destinations

Some of the world's most iconic destinations welcome tens of millions of visitors every year. While most of us consider the crowded streets and inflated prices to be some of the key downsides to this level of tourism, we sometimes forget the impact this has on residents. Increased footfall can lead to unlivable conditions for locals. Rents become out of reach for the average wage, and local businesses get bought out to allow for tourist-centered developments. Opting for lesser-known locations gives you a chance to contribute to smaller economies while taking some of the pressure from busier spots. Make These Simple Changes to Become a More Eco-Friendly Traveler

You don't need to totally overhaul your travel habits to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly when you're on the road. A few minor adjustments on our end can make a huge difference, and today is the day to make those changes.