Sustainable travel resources | 2019
Finding sustainable travel resource shouldn't be this difficult
In a world where it seems like every product and service is trying to be as fast, cheap and easy as possible, making sustainable choices can be difficult. Similarly, reliable sustainable travel resources are not easy to come by.
As socially responsible traveller, I try to explore destinations beyond touristy hotspots and spend as much of my travel budget as possible to support the local community. When planning my trips, I want to be aware of the social impact of my holiday whenever possible.
Tourism remains one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide, and the demand for sustainable and alternative travel experiences has been gathering steam. Unfortunately, the travel industry uses every marketing trick in the book in order to attract those who are interested in traveling more sustainably. This includes 'greenwashing', aimed at making things seem more sustainable or eco friendly than they actually are.
What is Greenwashing?
Many travel companies have adopted green marketing strategies in an effort to enhance their brand image and attract new customers. As a result, it has become difficult to tell the difference between companies that are genuinely dedicated to protecting the environment or the communities in which they work.
According to the Greenwashing Index, a company can be accused of greenwashing when it “spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact.”
How do you ensure that you're making the right choices?
The trick is to search beyond the marketing fluff and ask for more information any sustainability efforts and achievements. There are a number of ways you can do this; such as emailing the companies directly with questions. It takes a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it in the end.
However, the reality is that most of us don't have the time to do this every time we plan a trip.
While there is no one stop shop for all things sustainable travel, I've turned to some key resources to verify whether certain tour operators, hotels or service providers were actually sustainable. To help with this issue, I've compiled a list of my favourite sustainable travel resources so far in 2019. This list will hopefully make it a bit easier to find reliable information next time you're planning a trip!
Websites
Blogs
These resources are always changing along with the industry. I'll be updating this as I go along, and if you have any suggestions or additions, please let me know!