Key to any sustainable travel is research and planning
Instead of haphazardly booking your next trip without much thought except for cost, try researching your alternative options that will bring you in closer alignment with sustainable practices. It doesn’t take much more effort on your part as we can give you many suggestions and links to establishments offering you sustainable choices.
Google flights helps you understand which flights have a higher carbon footprint
You can do a cursory search using Google Flights to get an estimate what flights are available but you can also now see what the carbon emission would be so you can offset it. This isn’t the best way to book a flight however, as there are often better options by booking directly with an airline. We have put together a list of airlines that participate in carbon offset programs that a user can purchase directly when booking a flight and get their frequent flier miles and/or extra perks for being a member.
Look for Green Certified Hotels
Just like airlines, hotel chains will offer better benefits if you become a member of their frequent guest program giving you points and free upgrades. Many of these hotels now cater to the growing movement of becoming sustainable and proudly claim that through becoming a Green Certified Hotel.
If you are going to book a hotel through an OTA (Online Travel Agency) like Expedia or Travelocity, they do offer ways to carbon offset your travel. A popular hotel booking platform, like Hotels.com, does not offer any program to offset, but only talks about it here. Some walk the walk, while others talk. That’s where it pays to be a discerning sustainable traveler. Bedsonline is another hotel booking platform that has joined the sustainable travel movement by launching the Green Hotels campaign.
Can use travel agents specializing in sustainable travel
Another way you can book sustainable travel is to find a travel agent that specializes in eco-friendly, sustainable travel practices. Currently in the US, Virtuoso is a travel agency network offering sustainable travel. Travel agents also have key partnerships to offer you a great deal while also helping you become a sustainable traveler. They can take the headache out of planning the details of a trip for you.
Try using sustainable organizations as your new “go-to” way of traveling
We don’t have much time to turn around the growing changes in global climate. The planet is getting hotter in some places. Glaciers are melting, seas are rising. Environments we are accustomed to, will be disrupted forcing people to flee to other places.
We can do whatever we can now, to mitigate these impending changes, through the conscious and responsible travel choices we make. We know you can elect to not do leisure travel at all, but the reality is that we need our methods of global transportation for commerce. We know business thrives on globalization. We know that tourism plays a big part in how we address climate change. Thus, we aim to bring to light the ways in which you can become a sustainable traveler.