Green Travel
Green travel is often used as an umbrella term for "Going Green" in your travels. For som
e people it refers to sustainable tourism, ecotourism, and responsible tourism. While for others it is considered similar to going green by purchasing products that are less harmful to the environment - like biodegradable soaps, organic food - using cloth bags instead of plastic, etc. Often for "Green Hotels" it simply means they have learned how to become more energy efficient and have installed low-flow toilets and faucets to save water. In fact, most hotels claim to be green in some way now, sometimes just because they ask you to consider reusing your towels to conserve water and to use the in-room recycling bin.
But we like to think of Green Travel as more than that. We believe it should encompass sustainability on all levels; that sel
ecting green travel options means supporting locally owned restaurants and hotels, purchasing handicrafts and using services owned by local people, to help support their economy. It means ensuring the accommodation you are staying at is going that extra step. Maybe they are not only saving water and electricity the easy ways but they are producing their own electricity with solar panels, or are collecting rainwater and reusing gray water to irrigate their organic gardens? Maybe they are contributing to conservation by donating revenues to biodiversity research, or maybe they are preserving primary forest. What are they doing socially? Do they contribute to the local economy? Support local charities? These are some questions to ask yourself as you dig deeper into the concept of Green.
Check out The International Ecotourism Society's Green Guide!
