From 4 Things To Do Before Traveling Abroad: Departures at the airport.
Portia Grey wrote this post about planning your dream eco-holiday.
Every dream holiday begins with a dream, and your next eco-holiday is no exception. From sightseeing to transportation to food, dreaming — and planning — an eco-holiday is as simple as having goals and figuring out how to meet them.
Whether your eco-holiday takes you into the Arctic tundra or the Amazon Basin, you can achieve relaxation and wonder without overtaxing the environment. Here are 5 Steps To Planning Your Dream Eco-Holiday:
Do Your Homework
As you look up flights for your eco-holiday, use the Internet to find out how travel companies and travelers are combining tourism and environmentalism. Once you settle on a destination, do more research to learn about climate and culture and find out what kind of eco-holiday packages are available.
In the Italian countryside of Le Marche, you can take a cooking class at La Tavola Marche Agriturismo & Cooking School. Photo credits: La Tavola Marche Agriturismo & Cooking School.
Ask Questions
Don’t be satisfied with the information you gleaned from a website or an online review. Ask questions. Call or email tour operators who are covering your dream destinations. Ask them about green hotels, restaurants that follow a Slow Food or farm-to-table model, as well as what their company does to incorporate sustainability measures into their business.
From Ireland’s Greenest Attraction? : Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse has achieved Sustainable Travel International (STI) Eco-certification. Photo credit: Tourism Ireland.
Seek Quality Assurance
There are a number of national and international ratings organizations that certify businesses, buildings and organizations according to their sustainability efforts. When you’re ready to book a hotel, transportation, tour spots or make dinner reservations, ask the business in question if they have any eco-certifications. Here are a handful of the many “green” certification organizations companies:
GBB or the Green Business Bureau;
LEED or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design;
CGP or Certified Green Professional and
GreenBiz or the Institute for Green Business Certification.
From A London Concept Hotel: Qbic Hotel London City recruits 50% of its staff locally and partners with local charities like Bike Works which offers retraining and local bike tours. Photo credit: Qbic Hotels.
Give Back
A growing number of travel companies provide financial and other support to community projects, and there is usually a way for tourists to participate as well. There is also the option of purchasing carbon offsets. Once you figure out what your holiday’s carbon footprint is — you can calculate it at EarthLab — buy carbon credits from companies who will funnel your money toward projects that will reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
Read Between the Lines
Follow steps one through three whenever you’re uncertain about a company’s claims to make sure you’re supporting businesses that invest in a future that takes the planet’s health — and everything and everyone on it —seriously.