Sustainable Travel Practices
Overview
We face an interesting conundrum in the tourism industry today. On the one hand, the tourism industry now accounts for a whopping 8% of greenhouse gas emissions and is having a detrimental effect on our global environment. On the other hand, when done with integrity, travel can be an important vessel to spread appreciation for and support conservation efforts around the world.
It’s time we do our part to reverse our contribution to this statistic. It is our responsibility to support travelers with ways to not only offset carbon emissions during travel, but to take it a step further and foster replenishing and restorative environmental practices in an effort to reverse climate change.
Our Solutions
At Explorer X, we believe part of our mission is to guide our travelers in becoming more empathetic global citizens and stewards. With this in mind, a few things we prioritize when planning travel experiences for our Explorers include:
– Reducing the number of places visited, staying longer in each. (An added benefit of this is a more immersive experience.)
– Prioritizing locally-owned properties that use eco-friendly practices such as eliminating (or reducing) single use-plastics, biodegradable shampoos/products
– Using local guides/experts – culture, history, context, etc.
– Transfers and transport – hybrid or electric vehicles, walking tours, public transportation, etc.
– Mindfully mixing highlight experiences and hidden gems so as to not overwhelm local resources and to encourage exploration of …
– Making sure activities and experiences planned do not interfere with local culture to ensure integrity, etc.
– Exchange of ideas that can positively impact local people, global understanding, etc.
– Making sure activities and experiences planned do not interfere with or handle wildlife unless for rehabilitation or research purposes.
We hope that our travelers see us as a resource to help our planet thrive.
What You Can Do
We are inviting you to take a stand and do your part to incorporate some or all of the following eco-friendly habits into life before, during, and after travel to ultimately be a more sustainable and environmentally regenerative member of your community. Up to the task? Here’s how to get started:
Support locally-owned retail shops for travel gear, or better yet, repurpose items you already own or that you can borrow from friends and family. When purchasing new items, ensure that they are ethically made and high quality, choosing non-plastic materials like bamboo or stainless steel when possible.
Walk, use a bicycle, or use public transportation to get around town while traveling (and/or at home).
Throw some reusable cutlery and straws in your carry-on for grab-and-go airport food; Bring a reusable water bottle.
Sign up for a composting and/or recycling service in your neighborhood. You may find that composting is cheap and easy with curbside pickups!
Reduce/Re-use/Recycle: For groceries, try re-usable produce bags, silicone ziplock bags like the Stasher brand, beeswax wraps, and use mason jars for grocery shopping in the bulk section or for travel snacks. Small reusable containers are great for refilling with a travel-sized amount of shampoo/conditioner, too!
Consider purchasing sustainably raised meat or consuming less meat in general.
Pick earth-friendly health and home products for yourself and your family to rid toxins from your household. Try the Think Dirty or Skin Deep websites.
Remove geotags on photos posted to social media.
Consider charitable donations and support to local and legitimate on-the-ground non-profit organizations in the places visited as well as efforts back home.
Here you can watch our Wisdom & Wanderlust webinar with Court Whelan on Sustainable Travel. From heading up carbon offsetting strategies for large scale companies for over a decade, to guiding travelers on epic photographic adventures across the globe, Court's range of interests and expertise ranges far and wide. For our team at Explorer X, Court has been a mentor and guiding light when it comes to building our own regenerative travel practices.
Adopting and incorporating these practices in life and travel not only reduces our carbon footprint but goes beyond, resulting in environmental regeneration. Now let’s get out there and travel with integrity — feeling assured that we are benefiting the regions we visit and ultimately contributing to a healthier and thriving planet for generations to come.