Getting Travelers Involved with Sustainability
Apr 10
posted by Dipika Chawla in sustainable tourism | 0 Comments 
Many hotels (like the ones in the SustainableTrip directory) are doing great things to protect the environment and support local communities. By choosing to stay at one of these hotels, guests are already accomplishing a lot in making their trip more sustainable. Some hotels offer "Sustainability Tours" that give guests a look at what goes on behind the scenes in a hotel that follows best practices for sustainability. But what about travelers who want to go a step further? Look for hotels that offer their guests a chance to participate in programs that are making their environment and community a better place!
One great way that guests can get involved is by participating in a "Plant a Tree" program, in which they receive a seedling from the hotel and plant it on or near the hotel property. This is especially important in areas where deforestation has threated habitat for endangered species, like the rainforests of Central and South America. Planting a tree also helps offset the carbon footprint of your trip, which can be quite high if you traveled by plane.
At Arenas del Mar, an eco-resort located on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, guests can plant trees in key areas as part of a larger reforestation effort that is restoring habitat for squirrel monkeys. Other Costa Rican hotels with Plant a Tree Programs include Natural Lodge Caño Negro, Las Colinas Boutique Hotel, Ecolodge San Luis, and Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort.
Some sustainable hotels in coastal areas offer travelers the opportunity to participate in beach clean-ups. This not only makes the beach more safe and enjoyable for locals and tourists alike, it improves habitat for coastal and marine wildlife and can have a particularly meaningful impact on endangered species such as sea turtles. Sea turtles are in danger of extinction, in part due to a rapid decline in the availability of clean and safe nesting beaches. Guests at Los Cardones Surf Ecolodge in Nicaragua and Secrets Marquis Los Cabos in Mexico can help the hotel staff patrol the beach at night to look for nesting sea turtles and release tiny hatchlings into the ocean. If you're really interested in traveling and volunteering with sea turtles, check out the SEE Turtles program in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Sustainability isn't just about flora and fauna – it's also about supporting local communities economically and culturally. Sustainable hotels encourage their guests to support locally-owned businesses such as restaurants, tour guides, souvenir shops, and more. For those who enjoy working with children, some hotels facilitate volunteer programs at local schools. For example, guests at Los Cardones can accompany hotel staff on their weekly visits to schools, during which they lend books from their mobile library and offer educational activities on varied themes, such as the environment, the arts, sports, English, science, health, careers, and crafts. Guests with special skills are invited to share those with the students, such as playing an instrument, yoga, and teaching English.
Hotels in rural areas are more likely to have close ties to the local community, thus making it easier to find ways to help out. Guests at Totoco Ecolodge in Nicaragua, for example, can participate in local community initiatives such as their education project, healthy women project, and their local children's football club. Another option is choosing a home stay, where travelers stay in the home of a local family, helping travelers connect with the local community and making it easier to connect with local projects. At Hospedaje en Quebradas, Costa Rica, guests can participate in a multitude of activities like assisting with community projects, making trails and signs, and helping in the local school and church.
Pack for a Purpose is a fantastic program that offers travelers a meaningful and easy way to help support local communities. Travelers can bring school supplies, medical supplies, and other small items (soccer balls are always popular!) and donate them to the local community. If you're staying at a hotel that participates in Pack for a Purpose, all you have to do is drop off your donation at the front desk, and the hotel will deliver it for you.
Have you ever participated in a sustainability project while on vacation? Tell us about it!
