Green Travel
There are easy ways to make your next vacation greener. The Web resources in this guide show you how to travel in a way that benefits you, the community you’ll be visiting and the environment. Learn how to reduce your carbon emissions, find hotels and tour operators with eco-friendly policies, or discover exciting ecotourism trends and destinations. Get in on the green travel phenomenon with help from the Web.
Expand All Guide SectionsHow to Travel Green
Green living is practically old hat, but the green travel trend is just starting to pick up ... read more »
Green Travel Trends and Destinations
Some destinations are obvious eco-friendly favorites, such as the rain forest areas of Costa Rica and Belize. But many other countries, states, cities and hotels are adopting green principles, making it entirely possible for you to travel green almost anywhere. This section presents up-and-coming green destinations and trends in the green travel industry.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Despite the popularity of tourism in sensitive environments like the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica, some experts consider such travel unethical. For example, a researcher quoted in an NPR article (“Antarctica’s March of the Tourists”) has seen a rise in water temperature over the past decade coinciding with the Antarctic tourism boom, and penguins are dying as a result. Carefully weigh your options and potential impact on a place before you decide to visit.
- Even if you reduce your carbon emissions, stay in green hotels, and walk or bike everywhere when you arrive, flying to your destination means your trip will have a negative impact on the earth. According to an article in The Guardian, “planting trees in Scotland or handing out eco-light bulbs in Honduras is no substitute for getting planes out of the skies.”
Before you cancel your plans for fear of your flight ruining the earth’s atmosphere, consider the other side of the argument: many small economies, such as those found in Caribbean countries, are highly reliant on tourism. A decline in flights to such areas could be economically disastrous for people living there. To read more related comments on the topic of ethical travel, view this Planeta forum thread.
Dulcinea's Picks
For trends in green travel …
The New York Times Travel
section guide to eco-tourism has feature articles on green travel, including international efforts among resorts, hotels, nonprofit groups and travelers to promote and participate in sustainable tourism. The Times recently focused on luxury green hotels, including the Old Bangkok Inn, which was constructed from salvaged teak wood, decorated with locally produced materials and powered by rooftop solar panels.
Jamble Magazine
is based in the U.K. and has a fresh site design and unique take on ecotourism. The editorial team focuses on combining their love of local music and innovative travel, spotlighting new gadgets for green travel, progressive travel ideas and insightful feature articles. The green city guides are a standout feature, showing you how to enjoy destinations in an environmentally responsible way.
GreenStyle Magazine
is a blog all about green living, and includes a section on “Eco Travel & Transportation.” The backlog of posts covers various trends in green travel, including free bicycles in Paris and the case against ethanol. Take a look at the right sidebar for additional categories featured in the blog, such as “Environmental Politics” and “Green Interior Design.”
For green destinations …
Brave New Traveler
runs down “5 Green Travel Destinations For 2008,” and provides recommended accommodations and activities in each. Whether you’re heading to Europe, Asia or Central America, you’ll find options here. Brave New Traveler also has green travel guides to many other locales in the United States and abroad, including Boston, Washington, D.C., Stockholm and Florence.
National Geographic Traveler
enlisted experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship to evaluate the environmental status of 111 islands and archipelagoes around the globe. Learn about factors contributing to the environmental successes and failures of these awe-inspiring destinations.
For green travel blogs …
Green Living Ideas
has a “Travel and Vacation” section with themed guides, such as “Eco Summer Travel,” and coverage of current trends in green travel regarding transportation, accommodations and luggage. Much of the site’s content is about green living but can apply to travel; for example, see the “Alt Fuels and Transportation” section in the “Topics” pull-down menu.
© 2010 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
