| Green Travel Tips and Advice |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Matthew Kepnes |
| Wednesday, 22 April 2009 08:29 |
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With the number of people traveling the world increases every year, the environmental effect of tourism only gets worse. Travelers tend to produce copious amounts of waste- few recycle on the road, hotels are models of inefficiency, and airplanes spew carbon dioxide. All in all, travel can be pretty environmentally unfriendly.
With the number of people traveling the world increases every year, the environmental effect of tourism only gets worse. Travelers tend to produce copious amounts of waste- few recycle on the road, hotels are models of inefficiency, and airplanes spew carbon dioxide. All in all, travel can be pretty environmentally unfriendly. However, over the last few years, people have gotten more environmentally conscience and care more about protecting the environment. As energy costs rise and climate change looms large, people want to do what they can. There has been a movement in the travel industry to green travel up and it has produced many tour operators and hotels who have found they can make green and still be green. While most eco-tours are simply greener versions of normal tours, others offer specific angles: First, there is volunteering. Many tours are based on participants volunteering in local community initiatives and clean up projects. Many tours focus on educating groups about the local culture. This includes cooking classes, home stays, and language classes. The idea is to spread cultural respect and understanding while decreasing everyone's environmental impact. Lastly, some tours focus on environmental education. These highlight environmental issues in a local area and what can be done to improve the situation. Besides just protecting the environment, green travel is about helping people. It's about using companies who protect the environment to show support with your own green. If people see they will make money from the environment they will be less likely to cut it down. Eco tours use companies who protect and save the environment and ensure that money stays in local communities. Eco-tourism promotes environmental awareness among its participants and reduces the environmental impact of tourism. Organizations use local products, local guides, and visit organizations that use sustainable and low impact methods. Moreover, it promotes local conservation and trains locals on how protecting the environment is good for the planet but also for their wallet. Many companies run conservation programs and train locals on how to look after the environment. After all, no flora and fauna, no travel business. Travel is a great experience and helps promote cultural understanding but everyday travel has a heavy toll on the environment. For those with a green spirit, this can be a problem. Yet we should not have to pick between travel and the environment and, with eco-tourism, we know we will never have to make that chose. About the Author: Matthew Kepnes care for both the environment and the travel idustry. He loves how he can combine both his passions and has written about both for many magazines. For more information on traveling, visit his website on how to travel and backpack the world, which contains a section on green travel. |