Sustainable vacations: 5 tips for traveling green
What are sustainable vacations?
Sustainable vacations are a growing trend. Check out our tips for traveling green, respecting the environment and people.
Vacations, particularly summer vacations, are always highly anticipated. However, they affect the environment. But is it possible to organize sustainable and environmentally friendly vacations? Yes, tourism and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand: bike routes, nature trails and eco-friendly facilities are everywhere throughout Italy.
Choosing sustainable vacations and responsible travel means reducing your ecological footprint, respecting the traditions and culture of the communities living in your chosen destinations, and preferring restaurants that use local products and traditional tastes and smells. In other words, traveling green means taking care of the environment, respecting local communities and supporting their economy, without sacrificing fun and well-being. It means living an authentic, profound and unforgettable emotional experience.
It is no coincidence that the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a UN agency that coordinates tourism policies and promotes responsible tourism, says that sustainable tourism is that which “meets the needs of travelers and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.(…) Sustainable tourism products are those that act in harmony with the environment, community and local cultures, so that they are the beneficiaries and not the victims of tourism development.”
The definition provided by the UNWTO is complemented by that of the Mibact (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities for Tourism), which identifies sustainability as a “development strategy that aims to protect human, artistic, environmental and cultural heritage, which has become an engine of advanced economies.“
It only takes a few simple steps to become responsible travelers, not harming the environment and places, fostering lasting economic development and improving the quality of life of local communities. So, here’s how to travel green and be sustainable.
Green vacations: 5 tips for an environmentally friendly trip
Maybe you want to explore new places, or maybe you are looking for relaxation away from everyday life. In any case, traveling is not a luxury but a need, a way to evolve, broaden your horizons, get lost and then find yourself. You can do all this in an eco-friendly and responsible way. How is it possible? Here are five tips for sustainable vacations that respect the environment and people:
- Once you reach your vacation destination, choose to move on foot or with environmentally friendly vehicles, such as bicycles, to reduce the impact of travel. In addition, for lunch and dinner prefer restaurants that offer menus with local and organic products;
- For a day at the beach, a hike in the mountains or a walk in the city, do not buy plastic bottles. You have a greener alternative: the water bottle. And when it’s time for an aperitif, ask the barman not to put a straw in your drink. This disposable product, apparently harmless, pollutes the sea and ends up in the stomachs of turtles and sea birds;
- If there are no rubbish bins nearby, don’t leave the rubbish but take it with you. Also, find out about how separate collection works in the place where you are.
- Sand, shells, pebbles and quartz grains are not souvenirs and you must leave them in their place. In fact, taking them means altering the coastal ecosystem already threatened by pollution and the climate crisis. Furthermore, it is a crime and you risk rather hefty penalties. Even when you see a starfish while swimming, don’t take it out of the water to take a picture. The channels that pass through his body can be blocked by air bubbles that cause him to die from embolism even after days. Admire the starfish from afar, and do not touch them: contact with your hands can alter the substance that covers the animal’s body and allows it to breathe;
- Choose sustainable facilities such as Forte Village, an award-winning resort surrounded by the splendid Sardinian sea. Forte Village is an example of sustainable accommodation, capable of protecting the resources of the territory and of communicating with local communities. “We are green” is the resort’s motto, which focuses on energy saving, separate collection, protection of biodiversity, reduction of water waste, ecological footprint, food and beverages.
Do you want to live a dream sustainable vacation in a true paradise? Discover the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.
