4 Smart Ways to Become a More Sustainable Traveler This Year

Traveling sustainably has recently become increasingly important. The negative impacts caused by tourism have consequences that affect the environment. You can reduce your carbon footprint and still enjoy vacations when traveling to your desired destination. Here are 4 smart ways to become a more sustainable traveler this year.

1. Explore

Exploring locally is the best way to reduce carbon emissions caused by flights to more distant destinations. Consider vacationing closer to home to avoid this addition to an already suffering environment. If you must travel farther away, contemplate driving instead of flying. 

There are other ways to be sustainable once you arrive at your vacation spot if you choose to fly. Avoid tourist traps and join activities geared to give money back to the economy. Use public transportation whenever possible or walk or bike around the area instead of renting a car.

Perhaps you could plan to visit a place like Puerto Rico that needs your help. You could volunteer to get involved in projects to help rebuild communities affected by disasters. If you’re at a beach, see if there are cleanup programs you could join while you’re in town. 

2. Recharge

Who goes on vacation without a camera? There are probably quite a few travelers who don’t bring their lenses since cameras are available on every smartphone. However, if you still have your trusty camera on vacation, try these tips to reduce your carbon footprint while snapping.

Use rechargeable batteries when possible to be more sustainable. Disposable versions slowly release mercury over time after reaching landfills, harming the environment, so avoid them if you can. Rechargeable batteries are worth the investment. Just be sure to unplug the charger when the process is complete. Leaving items plugged in when they no longer need to be uses energy and electricity that isn’t required and adds to the environment’s wasted resources.  

3. Dine 

When traveling or otherwise, it’s essential to dine or shop local for your food. Dining locally can help pump money back into the economy. Do some research to find out where your restaurant is getting its food. Try to find an environmentally-friendly place by shopping at farmers markets, growing their own vegetables or purchasing from local fishermen. 

Land-based animal farming contributes to climate change and harms the environment. Consider incorporating seafood into your diet to reduce your carbon footprint. Finding local, sustainably sourced seafood while on vacation is an excellent way to sustain ocean health and become a more sustainable traveler. 

Sustainable seafood is the most healthy choice of protein since it is full of micronutrients. Seafood includes zinc, calcium, iron, vitamin A, selenium and omega-3. These micronutrients can reduce your risk of health issues like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. 

4. Support

Environmentally-friendly vacations are growing in popularity, as they should. Do your part by joining this effort to be more eco-friendly and shop for sustainable travel methods. Find airlines that care about the environment to buy your flights from. 

The pandemic encouraged multiple companies to join forces and find ways to offer more sustainable services. Delta, American Airlines and United are increasing efforts to provide net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. They are doing what they can to expand the sustainable jet fuel market. 

Airlines for America is a group representing all three of these airlines. It is working with the aviation industry to make 2 billion gallons of sustainable fuel available to aircraft operators in the U.S. by 2030.

Sustainable Travel

Finding businesses aligned with your goals and whose executives want to protect the planet is a step in the right direction. The harsh impacts on our surroundings seem to be coming from everywhere. 

The best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to educate yourself and find ways you can help or give back. What you don’t know may be causing you to harm the world around you. Live green and become a sustainable traveler to assist in building a more eco-friendly future.

Author Bio: Ava Roman is the Managing Editor for Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that advocates for living your most authentic life. Ava’s most authentic life includes minimizing her carbon footprint, advocating for climate change, and living as waste free as possible to keep Mother Earth happy.