Life is getting back on track, and with it, travelling is also back on the menu. With borders opening up, it's high time we get out there and experience the world anew. Travelling lets us realise that we are part of this great system that functions best with minimal interference. Sustainable travel is a method with which we can accomplish exactly that and keep the environment intact, or even improve it. All those wonderful places you will visit should remain exactly like that so that the next generations may enjoy them as well. With that in mind, here are some practical tipstricks on how to accomplish this noble goal.
1. Lighter carbon footprint
Travelling anywhere from Australia means that you will be using some form of carbon creating transport. While this is inevitable, you need not worry. Looking at a global picture, each person creates their carbon footprint. With that in mind, you can always opt for airlines that offset carbon emissions or use the least carbon-heavy means of transportation.
And your quest does not stop there. Once you do arrive at your destination, you can do wonders that will lower your carbon footprint. Using public transport or engaging in walking tour activities is the way to go. Not only will you best experience the local attractions first hand, but you will also do so in the same way as the local people do.
2. Help the local economy
Asides from the environment, you can also help the people living there. By booking your stay in more eco-friendly accommodation, you are directly supporting that kind of development. Being the change, you want to see in the world starts by voting with your valet as there is no greater stimulant to the local economy. By extension, supporting the local business by buying in local shops goes a long way in boosting the local economy.
Staying away from large brands, franchises, and chains is how you see change happen. One more action you can take but only, if possible, is to stay for as long as possible. Not only will you get to experience the local cuisine, environment and sights more, but you will get a far better understanding of why it's important to protect the local environment.
3. Ask for help
Even with the best of intentions, anyone can get lost in the sea of information. With so much to do it's hard to prioritise what's best. Also, even by wanting to change things for the better, you may accidentally make them worse with a piece of wrong advice. Luckily, plenty of people are on the same page and strive for the same goal as you are.
Online groups, organisations like Involvement Volunteers International and even organised tourist groups from your local tourist advisor board are here to help and guide you along the way. Even if you are making your first steps in this field or have some mileage, there is no shame in asking for help or guidance. If one person can make a difference, then a whole group with a single goal in mind can make wonders happen.
4. Take back only memories
Let's say that you finally arrived at a dreamscape beach. The sand is white as snow, the sea is pristine, and the air is unbelievably pure. Your vacation resort is all you dreamed about and more. In such scenarios, people often get carried away and start collecting souvenirs. Not those that they can find in any shop. Usually, it's the fossils, shells and plants found in the wild. Conservation of local flora and fauna makes your destination stay the way it was before you got there and ensures it will be like that for all future visitors.
Tourists often justify taking "Just one rock or just one piece." and with that, they fail to realise that they are part of a whole. Imagine if every tourist from thousands and more that visit a destination takes one piece from it. Soon, there will be nothing left, and what makes the destination unique would be scattered around the world. A picture is worth a thousand words, so make as many as you like and revel in the wonderful memories you made.
5. Keep the destination as it is
The point of travelling is to see and experience something truly unique. Local customs go hand in hand with local flora and fauna. Many local customs derive from the environment. Immersing yourself in the local way of life makes you realise why things are the way they are and give you a unique insight into the local culture.
You bring your culture with you, but trying to impose and change other destinations based on them is not what eco-tourism and sustainable travel are about. Imagine if someone tried to change your country in the same way. Respecting the local traditions, customs and way of life with cultural preservation is how you will best experience any destination. And allow for others to experience it as well.
The world is your oyster. An oyster that is best left in the sea, where it naturally belongs. Travelling is one of life's greatest joys, one that we all should experience as much as possible. Mother Earth has created some of the most breathtaking natural vistas for us to experience. The best that we can do is make sure that all subsequent generations get to see those wonders in the same way we did. Intact, preserved and beautiful.
