Hello Greentrippers !

Travelling is among the crucial parts of the human lifestyle. It connects people from around the world and create new experiences. But have you ever thought about sustainable travelling & slow travelling?

Sustainable travel or sustainable tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, meeting the needs of visitors, tourism professionals, the environment and host communities. (World Tourism Organisation - WTO)

With slow travelling you take the time to connect to local people and local culture. It takes you back to the roots of why we travel: living that authentic experience and really getting to know the country, its people and culture.

Travelling is not about how many places you have visited or the number of kilometres travelled in 2 weeks. It’s about the quality of your experience. Slow travelling relies on the idea that a trips is meant to educate and have an emotional impact, while remaining sustainable for local communities and the environment.

Become a responsible traveller

Going on holiday in a few weeks or already planning your trip for this summer? Do your best to minimise your carbon footprint.

Here are some 'small' tips to reduce your travel impact - remember that every little step can make a big difference to our planet!

TIP 1 - CHOICE OF TRANSPORTATION

Did you know that according to a new report by the UNWTO and the International Transport Forum (ITF), transport-related greenhouse gas emissions from tourism are expected to account for 5.3% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions by 2030, up from 5% in 2016?

Try to opt as much as possible for train, bus or car when you're a small group. The trip itself is already a whole adventure and a must-try experience! 

What is your personal impact if you would travel from Brussels to Ljubljana (Slovenia) by... 

**the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of a responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism sector.

 

TIP 2 - BOOK ACCOMODATION WITH GREEN LABEL

Choose for an accommodation with a green label. It indicates that the accommodation respects both the area and its inhabitants and that it has a sustainable approach that allows it to reduce its environmental impact.

 

TIP 3 - TAKE REUSABLE AND BIODEGRADBLE PRODUCTS

Prepare your 'green luggage': take a water bottle, choose biodegradable products (soap, sunscreen, detergent, ...), because they are found in water and destroy ecosystems, corals, etc. Also, pack light! The heavier your luggage, the more fuel it takes to transport by train, plane, car, or bus.

 

TIP 4 - SHARE YOUR EQUIPMENT

Are you planning to go camping this summer or are you already planning your next ski trip? Share your equipment with friends and family instead of buying everything new. Saves money & is better for our planet!

 

TIP 5 - PRESERVE THE ECOSYSTEM

If you are diving, be careful not to touch the corals with your hands and not to step on them with your flippers as it may damage or even kill them.

Do not feed or touch the animals as this can strongly disrupt their eating habits.

Do not pick flowers as some species are in danger of extinction.

 

TIP 6 - BUY AND EAT LOCAL

By buying and eating local you support local business and its country's economy.

Try to eat organic and if you want to eat meat, ask where the meat comes from.

 

TIP 7 - REDUCE YOUR TRASH

Don't throw your garbage in the wild and, if you can, pick up waste you find on your way (plastic bags, cans, ...) and put it in the nearest garbage bin. Litter lying around can cost the lives of certain animals (birds, fish, turtles, ...). If you are a smoker, take a pocket ashtray, because a cigarette butt is very dangerous and takes a long time to decompose!

 

TIP 8 - OPT FOR ECO-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

Opt for eco-friendly activities such as surfing, hiking and cycling & Explore inland water using non-motorized boats like kayaks, sailing boats, sups and canoes as opposed to speed boats.

When hiking, or taking part in any outdoor activity, remember to "take nothing but pictures & leave nothing but footprints" by keeping the environment the same way you found it.

 

TIP 9 - OFFSET YOUR REMAINING TRAVEL IMPACT AT WWW.GREENTRIPPER.ORG