Hey ocean lover! You may be planning a getaway for the Easter Holidays, and wondering how you can possibly make your trip more sustainable. Sustainable travel is a booming market, and it’s becoming even easier to travel with a conscience. Equally, you may have been getting lost in an endless torrent of articles about how to travel more sustainably! So we’ve scoured the internet to find the best sustainable travel tips to make sure your trip gets off without a hitch.
What Is Sustainable Travel?
Let’s ground ourselves with a handy definition. We like this one from Ecobnb: “traveling sustainably means being aware of the impact of tourism on the environment and adopting good practices to reduce the negative effects.” They go on: “sustainable travel is a way to preserve nature, instead of commodifying it to attract tourists.”
You may have also heard of sustainable tourism, which is really another word for this conscious and practical approach to travel.
Our takeaway? That sustainable travel and sustainable tourism involves an eco-awakening, followed by a reckoning with practices that don’t work in favour of the environment. Like all forms of sustainability, it involves making better choices that benefit humans and non-humans alike.
Without further ado, here’s our take on how to travel more sustainably:
1. Take ‘The Road Less Travelled’
Robert Burns’ famous poem concludes:
…lines that could serve as a motto for any sustainable traveller. Taking the road less travelled to places less frequented makes all the difference to your environmental impact - and enjoyment! That’s because sustainable travel is not just about reducing your footprint but also helping to alleviate mass-tourism’s collective impact on a place. In Barcelona, we know exactly what that looks like: hundreds if not thousands of travellers crowding around La Sagrada Familia or walking down Las Ramblas. There’s a reason that you’ll often see the words “tourists go home” graffitied on walls! And it’s because tourism can have a detrimental effect on the character of a city. It can weaken its spirit and take over its economy.
That’s why, to travel more sustainably, we must take the road less travelled. Seeking out locations that nobody else knows about, and choosing destinations that are yet to develop a damaging tourist industry. This may even mean staying closer to home, strengthening your bond with your local environment.
As the New York Times says in their article on how to travel more sustainably, “even a small adventure can feel a world away.”
Our tried and tested tip? This Easter Holiday, use Atlas Obscura to discover sights and experiences that most people miss. It’s the home of “hidden gems”.
2. Choose Sustainable Destinations
Set your sights on countries or regions that are known for their responsible approach to tourism. Recently, Albania made the news for its plan to set up a national park and welcome more eco-tourism initiatives. It’s looking like Europe’s best bet for sustainable travel this Easter Holiday. That said, Slovenia always seems to make the list of sustainable tourism destinations, mainly for its abundance of well conserved natural beauty.
Looking for more sustainable destinations this Easter? Try these.
3. Train Before Plane
Didn’t see that one coming, did you? Yes, land travel continues to be more sustainable than air travel! Partly, that’s due to jet vapours that have an even greater heating effect than carbon dioxide. The aviation industry recently rejected calls to curb the impact of jet vapours, a move that was condemned by several scientists. This, combined with the 100,000s of ghost flights that grace Europe’s skies every year, leads us to conclude that train travel is ethically and ecologically more commendable than flying.
There are also psychological benefits to train travel. Slowing the journey to a more sustainable pace exposes you to a greater range of scenery than when you go by air. Train and coach travel helps you to feel the distance, where air travel simply gets you from A to B.
How to travel even more sustainably? You could book a walking or cycling Easter Holiday.
4. Vote With Your Purchases
One of the most powerful ways to conceive of sustainable consumerism is to think of every purchase as a vote. Would you vote for massive corporations that leave a trail of destruction in their wake, and don’t enforce labour laws? Or would you vote for independent businesses that contribute to the local economy and work to preserve nature?
These questions apply on the road too. “Vote” for independent hotels and B&Bs that have a strong ecological orientation. We’d give the example of Casa Filomena, a boutique hotel in TWOTHIRDS’ old neighbourhood of Sarrià, Barcelona. Owned by a local, Filomena practises zero waste, sources locally grown ingredients (when guests choose to be cooked for), and fosters a mindful approach to tourism. The electricity comes from a green supplier.
A great way to travel more sustainably is to donate to local conservation projects.
5. Cut Waste
It almost goes without saying that a reusable bottle is essential for sustainable travel! Worried about water quality in your chosen destination? You can always ask for a filter, or bring soluble tablets that sanitise the water for you.
Pack a few tote bags to avoid contributing to plastic waste on grocery runs.
6. Check Your Trunk
This is where we come in! TWOTHIRDS has a variety of freshly launched sustainable styles that are perfect for any Easter Holiday. Each one is crafted from ecological fibres and fabrics that have mother nature in mind - from organic cotton through to linen and TENCEL™ Lyocell (if you want to know more about our Spring textures, see this new blogpost). Sustainable fashion also plays a role in travel, because the first thing that many people do after booking a holiday is stock up on clothing. We’d encourage you to make the most of what you already have, and if needed, pick up a few sustainable styles from the new collection.
Shop…
Sustainable Swimwear
Breezy Dresses
Tantalising Tops
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