A record 1.1 billion tourists traveled to international destinations in 2013, and the World Tourism Organization predicts that international travel will increase by 4% or more in 2014. This means that the tourism industry will have an enormous impact on the environment and on communities in and near popular travel destinations – many of which are located in ecologically fragile areas like coral reefs. Luckily, the sustainable tourism movement is growing, as more travelers are making smart choices that help to protect and support the planet.

There are lots of different ways to be a sustainable traveler, and many of them are easier than you'd think! We picked three green travel tips that are easy but effective enough to be a great starting point for the average traveler. Let us know what you think of our suggestions or if you have any of your own to share!

1. Ditch disposable water bottles

When you're on the go, it's tempting to buy a bottle of water at the airport or the convenience store and trash it when you're done. Sadly, this leaves behind a harmful trail of plastic that takes hundreds of years to degrade in landfills and ends up being a considerable expense, with bottled water costing as much as $10 per gallon. Even more troubling is the fact that some bottled water companies obtain their product by exploiting natural water sources in rural, often impoverished communities, and leaving these people high and dry when the water runs out.

Travelers Against Plastic (TAP) estimates that if Americans stopped buying disposable water bottles while traveling, an estimated 3.5 billion plastic water bottles would be taken off the market. Being a part of the solution is simple: buy a reusable plastic or metal water bottle, and you're set for life! One will cost you anywhere from $5-$25. When you consider the price of bottled water, you can see how quickly a reusable bottle pays for itself.

But what if you're backpacking in the wilderness or traveling in the developing world, where potable tap water is not available? There are several popular and easy-to-use methods for treating water during your travels. Water purification tablets and water treatment drops are cheap options at $5-$15 per bottle, but require 20-30 minutes to work. Filtration systems work faster, but only remove bacteria and not water-borne viruses. The SteriPen is a convenient solution that uses UV light to remove both bacteria and viruses in less than two minutes, but will set you back $50-$120. Whichever method you choose, there are very few excuses left for not kicking your bottled water habit.

2. Track and offset your CO2 emissions

With the advent of several innovative mobile apps, it's extremely easy to determine the CO2 emissions of your travel. Check out Green Travel Choice ($1.99), created by Pocketweb in partnership with The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Cleaner Climate, and Commute Greener. Pick your mode of transportation and enter your starting point and destination, and you're done! You can even log your trips to track your carbon footprint over time.

Carbon offsets can be a great tool to help mitigate the impact of your travel. Buying offsets has never been easier, whether it's for single flight or your entire trip. Many airlines offer the option to offset your flight at the point of purchase, or you can buy virtually any amount of carbon offsets online from a plethora of companies. Critics of carbon offsetting have claimed that these purchases allow people to assuage their guilt without truly mitigating the impact of their behavior. Environmental journalist Duncan Clark explains the carbon offset debate in this article and answers some of the most popular questions about its efficacy. If you're going to offset your emissions, make sure you choose a legitimate company--Green America's guide to choosing a carbon offset program is a great place to start.

3. Look for the little green frog

Two of the biggest purchases you'll make on your vacation will be accommodations and tours. Hotels have the ability to wreak havoc on the local environment by consuming an abundance of energy, generating large amounts of waste, and destroying wildlife habitat for construction. They can also exploit local communities by hiring foreigners for higher level jobs and relegating local people to low paying jobs with little or no opportunities for advancement--essentially profiting from local natural resources without any benefit to the local economy. On the other hand, sustainable tourism businesses have committed to help to protect ecosystems, support local communities, and reinforce the value of natural and cultural heritage.

Many hotels and tour operators claim to be "sustainable" or "green," but how can you tell if they're actually protecting the environment and not exploiting their employees? The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that verifies tourism businesses against rigorous sustainability standards so you can be sure that any hotel or tour operator using the Rainforest Alliance Verified™ mark, featuring the little green frog, is truly a sustainable business. Look for this mark on a hotels website or promotional materials or ask the business directly if they are Rainforest Alliance Verified.

SustainableTrip.org is the Rainforest Alliance's directory of sustainable hotels and tour operators in Latin America and the Caribbean, so look no further!

This entry was posted on February 26, 2014 at 1:09 PM and has received 1412 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.