A-Z Guide to Sustainable Travel

A-Z Guide to Sustainable Travel — A-Z Guide to Sustainable Travel

What does sustainable travel actually look like in practice? If you want to become a better traveler but don’t know where or how to begin, start with this guide.

Compiled by Pyo Youngso
Reference CNN Travel article ‘How to travel without destroying the planet’

“Sustainable travel” generally refers to travel that considers not only the traveler’s own experience but also the economic, social and environmental issues of the destination. Pitch by Pitch’s slogan, “Good is Cool in Travel.,” means that travel carrying good values is travel that is truly cool, and we pursue travel that contributes to a sustainable life for both travelers and destinations.

🗓 When to Travel

It’s better to travel in the off-season than in peak season, so that a destination’s economy stays sustainable even in the months when tourists are absent. If you do have to travel in peak season, choose places that are less crowded with visitors.

📍 Choosing a Destination

Many people assume they should avoid popular tourist destinations, but that isn’t necessarily so. Places where tourism is thriving, or where overtourism is a problem, are precisely where sustainable travel matters most. Shortening the distance you travel is basically the best way to minimize your carbon footprint, but sometimes you may want to visit somewhere far away. In that case, stay in one region for longer. You will reduce your carbon footprint compared with hopping among several regions in the same period, and you will make a far more meaningful contribution to the local economy.

Visiting an area that is working to recover after a disaster is also a good choice. Your spending can help the local economy get back on its feet, or you can volunteer and offer more direct help.

In short, for sustainable travel you can actually put into practice, choosing the right time to visit is more important than sorting destinations by sustainability or eco-friendliness, even within the same region.

✈️ How to Get There

By far the biggest carbon emitter among modes of transport is air travel. So the key is to fly as little as possible and keep your travel distance to a minimum. Choose direct flights whenever you can, and pick the more energy-efficient airlines.

For example, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operates aircraft running on biofuel on certain routes, while Alaska Airlines is cutting emissions with fuel-efficient aircraft and cutting-edge flight techniques that shorten flight distances. Choosing economy over business class also helps reduce your carbon footprint, because business seats take up far more space than economy seats to carry the same number of passengers (meaning more planes are needed).

Using sustainable airports is another option. Vancouver International Airport uses solar heat to supply hot water inside the terminal and gives passengers information on eco-friendly ways to get around, such as natural gas and hybrid vehicles. Boston Logan International Airport has water-saving faucets and runways paved with eco-friendly asphalt, and Singapore’s Changi Airport minimizes daytime energy use with 919 skylights.

Of course, if possible, it’s best to use something other than a plane, such as a train, car or ship. For the same distance, taking a train or bus instead of flying can cut carbon emissions by up to 90 percent.

🧳 Packing

The key to packing is to minimize single-use items and waste. Bringing a tumbler, a reusable straw and your own utensils lets you avoid disposables on the ground. If you want to cut down on waste from the amenities provided at accommodations or on planes, pack toiletries, indoor slippers, earplugs and a scarf. Making your own in-flight pouch and accommodation pouch is a good idea too. At one time, packing things you could use and throw away at your destination was considered a handy trick for traveling light. But a destination isn’t a trash can for travelers, is it? Of course, a lighter bag does help reduce your carbon footprint in transit. In some cases, items such as school supplies, sports equipment, notebooks and new socks can help the local community. If you really want to leave something behind, check the list of items that are welcome at your destination (www.packforapurpose. org) before you pack.

📝 Choosing Travel Products

If possible, it’s far better for the local economy to travel independently rather than through a travel agency, because the money you spend goes straight back to the area. If choosing accommodations, restaurants and activities one by one is too much, a sustainable travel agency is another option. It can spare you the effort by proposing itineraries, activities and transport that take environmental and local economic impact into account. Of course, an agency that advertises sustainability or eco-friendliness isn’t necessarily trustworthy. Look closely at the details of its policies and rules, such as whether it works with local people and gives priority to locally produced goods. You need to be proactive: ask questions about anything that seems doubtful, and give feedback after your trip on anything you think needs improvement. Using a locally run agency is also a good approach. If you do book a package, choose one that runs in small groups whenever possible.

🏩 Choosing Accommodations

It depends on the destination. In big cities suffering from overtourism, such as Venice or Barcelona, a hotel is the better choice. Check whether it has recycling systems and wastewater treatment, and whether it hires local people. In a place like Bali, on the other hand, renting a villa owned by a local is far more directly beneficial to the local economy than staying in a hotel. A small hotel run by a local family is the best choice of all.

When traveling along the coast, it’s essential to confirm that your accommodation has sewage treatment facilities, to minimize marine pollution. Over the past 40 years, sewage has been the biggest cause of coral reef destruction. Eco-friendly lodging isn’t always more expensive than regular lodging, either. A growing number of hostels are thinking about sustainability by working with local communities and using local resources. If checking every detail is too hard, you can start by looking for accommodations with a sustainable-travel certification, such as Green Globe or the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

🚲 Getting Around Locally

Walk or bike for short distances, and for longer trips choose a hybrid or electric car. Failing that, use public transportation such as buses and trains. According to a 2019 survey released by the UK government, when four or more people are traveling together, renting a car can produce a smaller carbon footprint than taking a bus. Of course, it still can’t beat taking a train or a boat.

🌽 What to Eat

Tasting local specialties is an indispensable part of any trip. Because they use locally produced ingredients, their food miles are short, so you cut your carbon footprint, and the food is fresh and, naturally, delicious. Choosing traditional dishes built on local specialties, such as tapas in Spain, tacos in Mexico, curry in India and hummus in the Middle East, is one convenient and good approach. If you cook for yourself, we recommend choosing ingredients from local brands, or shopping at farmers’ markets that showcase products from local producers and artisans and sell fresh regional food. Ordering and buying only as much as you will eat, to minimize food waste, is also essential. Avoid meals that require disposable items as much as you can.

🏃🏽‍♂️ What to Do

If you visit a popular destination, step away from the crowded sights and look for neighborhoods that see fewer tourists. Money spent there does more for the local economy. When booking activities, choose tours led by local guides. It’s best to avoid visiting Instagram hot spots or doing anything that disrupts local people’s daily lives. For sustainable travel, we also don’t recommend indiscriminate animal-related experiences. If you do water activities, use reef-safe sunscreen, which is free of oxybenzone and octinoxate, two ingredients that are deadly to marine ecosystems. Minimize how much you need by wearing long-sleeved rash guards or swimsuits that block UV rays.

Sustainable travel continues after you return home. Leaving feedback, both good and bad, for the hotels you stayed in and the travel agencies you used will also help the travel industry change.