Sustainable Travel Tips For Families

Most people would wish to classify themselves as environmentally conscious travelers. Unfortunately, though, many modern jetsetters are still unsure of what “sustainable” travel really means, and how they can get involved with it on a level that has actual impact.

Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to sleep in a tent and walk to every location you want to visit if you want to enjoy sustainable travel. In fact, all you need to do is make conscious and simple choices that will help you to lessen your negative impact on the world around you. Those choices may only make a small difference individually, but when added together, sustainable behavior has a huge impact.

Sustainable travel should be a family habit

The truth is that sustainable travel is the future of travel, and it’s something you should be teaching your youngsters about from an early age. As the population of the world continues to grow, becoming more globalized and richer than ever, tourism options will continue to increase, placing additional pressure on the resources and treasures that we love around the globe. For instance, imagine Rome packed full of even more tourists, or Venice sinking under the weight of dangerous environmental choices.

The following tips for sustainable travel could help you and your family to have a more positive impact on the world around you.

Travel more, and fly less

It’s safe to say that airplane travel is bad for the environment. This means that when we do fly, we should be trying to get as much out of our flights as possible. For instance, you could save up all year to ensure that you can afford to stay in your chosen destination for longer periods of time, or use stopovers as a way of visiting more places along the way; for instance, you might stop in New York on the way to Iceland.

Stay in sustainable hotels

One of the biggest decisions that you’ll have to make when traveling is where you should stay. From luxury hotels to eco-friendly boutique resorts, there are plenty of options out there, and it’s worth adjusting your choices based on the measures that each company takes to be more “green.” You can usually find out a lot of information about different hotels and companies online before you travel to your chosen destination.

Packing lightly

Packing becomes all the more important when traveling with a baby because of the inevitable anxiety of making sure you pack everything the baby needs. It helps to write down everything your baby needs on a daily basis, but most parents will tend to overpack.

Traveling with sustainability in mind means packing less, and this can be achieved with a baby. Research where you are traveling to, and find out what shops are en route and at your final destination because you can always buy more baby products during the holiday. This means that you can pack your diaper bag lightly, which will in turn help to contribute towards a reduced carbon footprint. To find a diaper bag that is travel-worthy (such as this one here – http://www.skiphop.com/diaper-bags), conduct a full-scale online search and make sure to view website information to find out which one is right for you.

Volunteer

If you want to take your travel experience to the next level, then why not volunteer during your vacation? Even if you only take a day out to offer some help to a local cause, you will get to know new people and learn new skills that could come in handy at home, while helping the world around you.

Support responsible travel companies

Just as you can look for sustainable hotels online, you can also find out crucial information about the environmental practices of the companies with which you choose to travel. For instance, smaller cruises that focus on conservation and learning about the environment can be a lot more sustainability-friendly than large luxury cruises.

Leave the beaten track

Finally, leave the beaten track behind and start discovering your own experiences within your chosen destination. Looking for places that are further away from the crowds will not only help you to get a more authentic experience during your journey, but it may also help with cutting down the chances of popular sights becoming degraded over time due to excessive tourism.

Stay sustainable

It’s up to us to look after the world in which we live – one small gesture at a time. Sustainable travel doesn’t have to mean sacrificing the most important parts of your vacation – it can even give you a whole new perspective from which to view the world. Just a couple of simple tips could go a long way towards helping the planet.