10 Eco-friendly Habits for Travel!

Did you know over 1.4 billion people travel internationally every year and the number is expected to grow to 2billion by 2030? According to WTO, Tourism plays a major role in achieving economic growth and providing employment, as it generates 10% of world jobs creating decent work opportunities for people.
– World Trade Organization

Tourism can make a positive contribution to sustainable development of communities, but it’s entirely up to individuals to make the positive choices, including ditching old habits. Here are a few ways you can live your best life being a stylish eco-friendly traveler, while at a new destination and at home!

Getting to your destination:

Go paperless! Opt for e-boarding passes instead of paper, including your reservations (tours, accommodation, etc.), especially as more and more airports are making room for e-passes. This will help reduce waste and also save the trees!

Take your own water bottle! especially when traveling to cities that have clean tap water. Having your own bottle helps you avoid the number of plastic cups you would have used on the plane as well as the plastic bottles (get bigger bottles if you must) you would have used through out your stay. Plus, you save some money for souvenirs, at least! Bottles would last longer if made of aluminum, so I’m gonna change mine soon, been using it for about 3years+.

Choose Energy efficient modes of travel! So, let’s say you are in Vienna, Austria and wanted to travel to Prague or Budapest or Bratislava…you can choose alternative means to get to your destination such as trains or buses instead of boarding a flight, as they would emit lesser green house gases (GHG) than planes.

At your destination:

Mode of touring matters! Choose cycling or walking tours instead of bus tours; rent a bicycle or scooter instead of using an Uber or cab to move around the city, well…unless it’s a Tesla or an electric car or the distance is really far.

Visit the Local markets! Buy fruits and groceries from local markets, usually fresher and cheaper. This will help you avoid fruits/foods covered in plastic wraps usually sold in supermarkets. Plus, you’ll also be helping local farmers provide for their families!

Turn the lights down low! When not in use, don’t forget to turn off the lights in the hotel/air bnb/hostel or wherever you’re staying to save energy. In the daytime, open blinds or windows to let in natural light, instead.

Reuse towels and bedsheets! You remember those towels they give you in hotels/airbnbs /hostels (and the bedsheets, of course), it’ll be chic if you reuse them! Don’t put them out to be changed every morning; help conserve the energy that would have been used to wash them.

Shut the tap off! Don’t keep the tap running if it’s not being used. When taking a shower or brushing your teeth or washing your hands, plates, utensils, etc., minimize the amount of water you use and avoid wastage by turning off the tap at those intervals when you don’t need water and after rinsing.

Avoid food wastage, share a plate! Yup! Sometimes we buy waaayyy more food or order quantities we are unable to finish, take them home and forget about them, only to trash them the day before we leave for the station or airport. If you’re a solo traveler or traveling with company, it’s never rude to ask for an estimation of the quantity per plate, it might be economical and eco-friendly to share a platter!

Leaving your destination:

Avoid buying plastic souvenirs! There are many other souvenirs made from clay, ceramic, cloth etc., out there that surely you would love. Think about the fishes and dolphins in the ocean. The plastic may end up being washed away into the sea, and that will be hurtful for the oceans.

Do you have any of these as habits? what other traveling habits do you have that are eco-friendly? Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Until next time…

Bisous, Inma