Travelling and sustainability

Travelling is a fundamental source of experiences that enrich our lives. I love travelling and many of you probably feel the same way. The season of summer holiday, changing places and knowing new cultures is coming on. Therefore I decided to collect some information about travelling and what should we consider as important to be more environmentally aware while travelling.

Travelling has a deep influence on the environment and on people. There are many factors which play a role while travelling: the means of transportation, the destination, our behaviors,  the length and the reason for the trip. Every trip leaves a certain footprint in the environment and in the places we visit. As a first step It is important to become aware of this fact.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

According to the definition of UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation - committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Developments Goals),

"Sustainable tourism should:

1.     Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

2.     Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

3.     Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them."

How is it possible to combine our right and desire to travel with the need of not affecting the climate and having a sustainable impact on the local population?  

IDEAS / SUGGESTIONS

Before the trip:

• Preparing Your Home. Turn out the lights, unplug electric devices, adjust the termostat.
• Learn about your destination. Read, learn the language at least a little, get ready to share your culture too and study the issues there. 
• Basic Tips for Packing a Green Suitcase. Extra weight requires more fuel and produces more carbon dioxide emissions. Packing light can be a challenge if you're not used to it but, ultimately, you'll probably find that not only is it more eco-friendly, it's also more convenient! :

            Reusable items. Create less waste in your destination by bringing these items with you: a reusable water bottle, reusable batteries (and a charger), a reusable shopping bag

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           Paper weight. When possible, reduce paper weight by downloading books, articles, maps, etc., on an electronic device and leaving the hard copies behind. If you only need a few pages from your guidebooks, tear out those pages (or make copies of them). If you make notes on those pages as you travel, you'll have a handy mini-journal.  

       Pre-trip recycling. Remove packaging materials from new items and recycle those materials before you leave.  

       Natural, non-toxic products. Depending on your destination, consider bringing small quantities of natural, non-toxic items—toiletries, cosmetics, laundry soap, etc. because, in some places, such products can be difficult to find or prohibitively expensive.   

          Travel clothes. Laundry services are almost always available. And when they're not, you can use the sink! For easy laundering, bring quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant clothing.  

        Nonessentials. Train yourself to take as few nonessential items as possible. In most cases, you'll find that you can function without them. If you find that you really need them later, you can probably borrow them or buy them locally as you travel.

http://www.responsibletravelreport.com/component/content/article/2637-green-suitcase

During the trip:

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  • • Travel behaviour :                                                         Advantages :

Transportation · Use collective ground transports · Share a car ride · Use airplanes more efficiently (fly less often, stay longer if you fly to distant destinations; avoid flights to near destinations, compensate your emissions if you considere this practicable) · Hitch-hiking · Ride a bike · Go on foot	· Affordable price (depending on mean of transportation, country, season, etc.) or for free · Diminishing the ecological impact, up to 0 · Many possibilities of meeting new people, socialising · Health and training (by bike and on foot)
Accomodation ·  Use accomodations facilities owned directly by the locals (e.g small pensions, private rooms) · Camp with your tent (check the legal dispositions on camping for the place you are visiting) ·  Avoid all-inclusive holidays and hotels	·  Affordable price or for free ·  Many possibilities of meeting new people, socialising · Discover the "true spirit" of your destination by meeting locals
Alimentation ·  Try out local foods and drinks · Cook your own food, if you have the possibility (e.g. while surfing a couch, in a hostel) ·   Avoid international food chains	·    Discover the local food · Support the local producers and agriculture ·    Sharing/learning/teaching cooking skills
Relationship with the locals and their environment · Inform yourself about history, politics, culture of your destination ·  Respect the local cultures, costumes and traditions ·   Try to communicate in the local language, at least a few words · Buy locally produced products, paying attention that they are not illegal  or  ethically dubious (e.g. endangered animal species, precious wood, ivory, etc.) ·  Respect and protect the environment and the nature	·  Easier comprehension of the local culture, minimising "culturale shocks" ·      Easier and deeper communication with the locals ·   Support the local producers and economy ·       Better protection and conservation of the environment

http://www.sustainablecouch.org/more/sustainable-travelling

After your trip:

Calculate your carbon footprint of your journey  (flying, driving, hotel stays and events) with https://sustainabletravel.org/utilities/carbon-calculator/ .

This comprehensive list should get you well on your way to more sustainable living. It may look daunting, but remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Pick one or two ideas that sound good to you. When you’ve mastered those, pick one or two more. According to a report published in 2009 by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): "Tourism is an effective way of redistributing wealth and a catalyst for gender equality, cultural preservation and nature conservation." Let´s make some small steps to make it come true and find your own way of travelling. I will probably start with unpluging all the electronic devices this time. 

                                                                            I wish you perfect summer and great experiences;).

Eva

sources:
                                                                           http://www.sustainablecouch.org 
                                                         http://sustainabletravel.org
                                                         http://www.responsibletravelreport.com

other useful links:

· http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org: Promoting responsible travel and ecotourism, supporting sustainable development, and helping travellers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit,

·  http://www.responsibletravelreport.com/:news, events, awards around the world in sustainable Tourism,

· http://www.responsibletravelreport.com/travel-green/travel-tips : great tips how to prepare yourself before your travel, what to take care of while travelling and what to do after you finish your travel.