8 Tips You Must Not Miss If Planning a Sustainable Trip

Tourism is at an all time high in today’s world making it important for every traveller to bridge the gap between travelling and sustainability. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, over 18 million Indians travelled overseas between January-November 2022.

People have been travelling to explore the world. But with this increased number of travellers, our responsibility towards saving nature increases significantly.

Does this mean that you should cancel your travel plans? No, the goal is to find sustainable and eco-friendly travel methods. This article will discuss how you can make your next trip eco-friendly and safe.

What is eco-friendly travelling?

Eco-friendly is a concept that discusses a parallel between mankind's growth and environmental preservation. Travelling plays a key role in economic and social growth, but it also impacts the safety of the environment in multiple ways. Eco-friendly travel, thus, means travel experiences that do not come at the cost of environmental degradation and developing travel methods that incorporate environmental preservation.

In the recent decade, there has been an increase in general awareness and talks on ecotourism, ethical travelling, nature tourism, green travel.

Become an eco-friendly traveller with these tips 

Eco-friendly travelling is not about big changes in your plans but rather small changes that bring bigger impacts. Keep these points in mind when you plan your next trip:

Travel light

You have probably received multiple suggestions about travelling light, as it is easier to carry luggage. However, this also has positive impacts on the environment. The lighter you travel, the lesser your carbon footprint. Every time you pay extra cash for extra luggage, you add to your carbon footprint, as a heavier flight creates more greenhouse gas emissions. 

Avoid single-use plastic

Probably the biggest and easily avoidable mistake travellers make is mindlessly grabbing single-use plastic in the form of water bottles, snacks and toiletries. Every year, around 8 million metric tons of plastic gets dumped in naturally flowing water bodies and single-use plastic through tourism forms a major part. When you do this, you are not only spending money where it’s not needed, but you are also creating overflowing landfills that take years to reduce and stay in the environment, creating all types of negative emissions. 

Carry your water bottle and fill it at a safe water tap, pack your snacks from home, invest in miniature sustainable bottles for your toiletries and dump your garbage at appropriate spots. 

Choose efficient transport

This might appear to be a daunting task but choosing efficient transport is not only helping you in becoming an eco-friendly traveller but also making your experience richer. When in an unknown city, the charm of taking local transport or eco-friendly transportation can make your travel experience richer, and you are cutting down on pollution by a huge number. Travel and tourism cause around 8% of the world's carbon emissions. 

While even local transport creates carbon emissions, it is significantly lower than private vehicles. Additionally, you can walk to a nearby destination or rent a bicycle to explore the neighbourhood. 

Support the local economy

Your part as an eco-friendly traveller comes into play when you stay at local homestays, shop from local vendors, and eat freshly cooked meals instead of plastic-packed snacks. The hospitality business is at an all-time high today, and so is its negative impact on the environment. In addition, shopping from local vendors is a way of giving back to the people of every city and helping them grow. 

Conserve water and energy

Next time you travel to a new city make sure you are cutting down on your water and energy consumption. Avoid long showers, turn off the AC and TV when you leave the hotel room, wash your clothes, put a DND sign to avoid unnecessary services and choose low-impact accommodation. 

Ditch the beaten destination

The charm of visiting a famous destination is unparalleled. However, with these destinations becoming popular like never before the love they received became the biggest reason for the downfall. 

For instance- The magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra has started to lose its true essence due to pollution. Goa beaches are garbage homes and Manali is a commercial place now. Beaches, historic sites and even popular hill stations have fallen prey to popularity. Choose a destination less travelled or eco-friendly travel destination to make your trip better and cut down your part in polluting destinations, that was the city's charm, further. 

Carbon off-setting

Carbon offsetting is a new concept not known to many travellers. Regardless of how conscious you are, you end up creating carbon footprints. While it is impossible to eliminate your carbon footprint you can focus on carbon offsetting. There are smart applications that calculate your carbon footprint percentage and you can invest in companies/activists who work for environment preservation in the city you visit. 

Respect the destination

Respecting a destination you visit is a duty that you must not shy away from. There are multiple ways in which you can do your part such as:

• Engage in adventure sports only from eco friendly travel companies that believe in and do their part in taking care of nature and animals.
• Don’t dump your garbage all around.
• Don’t disturb the wildlife in their natural habitat. 
• Invest in promoting the city’s culture.
• Slow down to experience the city’s culture in its true essence to avoid making multiple trips to the same city. 

Do’s and Don’ts When Planning an Ecofriendly Travel

Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts for eco-friendly tourism:

1. Do’s

• Carry your water bottle, food and toiletries.
• Take local transport.
• Rely on eco-friendly travel and adventure agents.
• Choose eco-friendly stays, and turn off the AC and TV. 
• Don’t litter around.
• Respect local culture and lifestyle.

2. Don’ts 

• Purchase single-use plastic.
• Shorter yet frequent trips.
• Private transport for every city.
• Avoid animal tourism or nature tourism that isn’t done mindfully.
• Indulge in reckless shopping in every city. 

Also Read: Can I Buy Travel Insurance after Departure from India?

Conclusion 

The environment is at a crossroads today, and as a traveller, you must act mindfully. Little changes in travel habits and extra steps in exploring methods can have a massive impact on preserving the environment and making it enjoyable for coming generations. 

In addition to becoming an expert at eco-friendly travel, choose smart and safe travel methods by opting for an international travel Insurance plan.

When planning safe travels, you must opt for travel insurance that not only covers you in medical emergencies but also looks after you in non-medical hiccups such as liability charges, trip interruptions, etc. Here, Explore—The International Travel Insurance plan from Care Health Insurance comes into the picture with its comprehensive coverage.

Suppose you harm an unrelated third party in an accident. Your insurer may help you deal with the liability charges legally in such a case.

Please note: Please read the policy documents carefully to understand the scope of coverage under the Personal Liability benefit. 

Disclaimer: Plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.