Tourism has the potential to do so much good. It can benefit local people and places, leading to much richer experiences for travellers, however we all have a part to play. We’ve seen first hand the impact of travel pollution, over-tourism and cultural destruction on our planet. From the beaches in the Caribbean littered with plastic to rubbish scattered across mountains in Nepal and Tanzania. But this is not a rant. This is how we can do small things to make things a little better.
On a personal level, we’ve grown ever more conscious about our footprint when travelling and at home. We’re committed to taking positive action wherever possible and striving to always improve our sustainable operations in order to make a difference wherever we can. It’s not always easy, but we truly believe that being a conscious traveller is about keeping informed, your attitude, and the choices you make.
We‘re all aware of the how we can travel responsibly with respecting local people, their cultures and dress accordingly, bargaining respectfully, shopping & eating locally, learning some basic phrases in the local language and saying no to plastic. But to help with becoming a conscious traveller, we’ve put this Conscious Travel Guide together; not to preach about how you should do things, but to inform and suggest, and we hope that you consider a lot of these for your next adventure and beyond. We can all make sustainable choices, support the communities we visit, protect the wildlife and the environment.
Make sustainable choices
Consider taking one long trip rather than several short ones. If you’ve seen a trip that ignites a fire in your belly, delve into the operator’s website to assess its credentials by reading their policy on sustainable tourism practices.
Getting there
Flights booked? Then pack light. Every item on a plane increases the carbon emitted. Plus when travelling with Adventurous Ewe, you’ll not only have an incredible experience but you can do so by knowing you are actively supporting rainforest communities across the globe through our partner-sheep with leading climate change charity Cool Earth.
Getting about in country
Choose public transport and travel by train wherever possible. We’re expanding our itineraries to offer train travel options to help with reducing our carbon emissions and adding the overall experience of your trip.
Be community minded
You can make a difference by supporting local sustainable tourism operators that invest money where it is most needed and empower members of the community as well as providing employment development opportunities. This is a key element when we come to partnering with local operators. Our local operators in Slovenia, Iceland, Morocco, Costa Rica, Spain and Tanzania are all family businesses whom have sustainable tourism operations and staff development as a core focuses.
Destinations
A key aspect of being a conscious traveller is choosing when and where to travel in order to lessen your impact. As part of our Climate Emergency Plan we continue to prioritise green destinations. We actively seek out countries who are making a difference to sustainable and green tourism with developing our trips. Check out some of our new trips to nations making a conscious contribution as a sustainable destination. Scroll down on the trip web-page to read each destinations ‘Sustainable and Responsible Travel’ section…
Slovenia Multi Activity Adventure
Explore Colombia & The Lost City
Iceland Winter Hiking Expedition
Low season travel
Travelling in the low season or shoulder season takes the pressure off local resources which is why we’ve created a new programme of trips. Check out our ‘Low Season’ trips. a range of small group challenges which allow you to experience incredible landscapes without the crowds, are community focused, have cultural immersion and are responsible for both people and the planet.
Opt for human-powered travel
Think trek. Ponder pedal power. Plan a paddle. Sense a snowshoe trek. Wonder wild swimming.
Just the nature of adventure travel lends itself to a much greener way of discovering a new destination. Immersing yourself in the sights, smells, sounds of the landscapes you travel through with no barriers allowing you to meet local people and really get a feel for the landscape. It sure beats sitting in a cramped bus with time pressured stops at each ‘tourist’ point.
Simply search for your preferred way of human travel under ‘Activities’ on our website and explore your next destination in a green and meaningful manner.
Use a refillable water bottle
Or a step even better, use a Water-to-go bottle which delivers clean, safe drinking water from any non-saltwater source. All our overseas travellers receive a free Adventurous Ewe Water-to-go bottle to help eliminate our single use plastic footprint in the countries we travel.
Pack for the planet
A few tips to help with packing light for your next adventure:
- use solar chargers like the Anker Power Port Solar
- take a foldaway canvas tote bag which you can have multiple uses whilst in country
- take a flask or reusable coffee cup to avoid single use cups
- take a spork to avoid using disposable cutlery
- use biodegradable toiletries ie. bamboo toothbrush, shampoo bars, plant based & biodegradable wipes, ocean-friendly sun-screen
We hope this helps you make conscious decisions that enhance rather than detract from your life and the lives of the people (and the animals) you meet along the way on your next adventures, and allow you to tread a lot lighter on the places you visit.
When tourism is managed sustainably and meaningfully it can really help to protect and preserve a place. So get up, get out there, and experience the best this amazing world has to offer. Seek out authentic and immersive trip experiences and adventures, something that you will be able to look back on and remember for a long time for the right reasons.
