Visit These 5 Best Sustainable Holiday Destinations This Year

Eco-tourism is making a huge impact on the global hospitality industry. One recent study showed that 87% of the global travellers want to travel sustainably.

When you put it into raw numbers, the argument is even more compelling. US News reports that 105.3 million Americans prioritize travelling in a way that benefits the environment.

Behind the Drive for Sustainability

With the effects of climate change becoming ever-clearer, we’re living in a time when acting sustainably is very crucial. As much as we’d like to completely eliminate our carbon footprint, doing so would mean never booking that flight and hotel and never seeing all the incredible corners of this wonderful world that still remain beautiful and breath-taking.

However, there are things that we can do to counteract the effects of travel pollution and still do our bit to look after the planet.

5 Top Eco-Tourist Destinations

Eco-tourism is an essential step for slowing the effects of climate change. There are many ways that different places around the world are having a positive impact. Here are just five of the best sustainable holiday destinations that you could visit.

• Gozo, Malta

Malta’s sister island, Gozo, was named ‘best in the Mediterranean’ by Green Destinations, thanks to its sustainable tourism efforts. The contributing factors that earned this reputation include the island’s clean and clear waters, its many heritage sites and its eco-Gozo 2020 strategy. As well as being able to soak up Gozo’s beautiful surroundings, the local food you’ll consume here is nearly all organic too.

• Norway

As a way of protecting the stunning scenery that Norway is so famous for, the country’s government makes every possible effort to be as sustainable as it can. Boasting crystal-clear fjords, roaring waterfalls and dramatic mountains and magnificent glaciers, spending time among nature is a national pastime here, so conservation is everyone’s responsibility; locals and visitors alike. You’ll find plenty of eco-lodges and sustainable outdoor activities to partake in while you’re there.

• Galapagos Islands

With its incredible fauna and rare species of wildlife, the Galapagos Islands were declared the first ever Natural World Heritage Site back in 1978. Since then, a continual effort has been made to preserve this incredible group of islands. The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park has led the way by implementing a system to control the number of visitors to the area. Many hotels here also make efforts to reduce energy and waste, so be sure to stay in one doing its bit.

• Costa Rica

Boasting exceptional natural beauty, there’s a reason why Costa Rica has made such a name for itself in the world of eco-tourism. The country is home to picture-perfect beaches, mighty volcanoes and almost a quarter of its land is rainforest, so they’ve made sure that much of it remains well-protected. One report shows that 93% of the Costa Rica’s energy is produced using renewable sources. The Independent reports that it powered the country with renewable electricity for 300 days in 2016. Despite being small, the country accounts for 5% of the planet’s biodiversity.

• Maldives

If there’s one place that needs to be doing all it can to live sustainably and encourage the rest of the world to do so too, it’s the Maldives. These low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean will be a paradise lost in just a few years’ time, as they succumb to rising sea levels resulting from climate change. Luckily, resorts such as Soneva are doing their bit to make a difference; billing a 2% environmental levy to put towards environmental projects. They’ve also banned all imported water, which has reduced emissions and prevented the use of 900,000 plastic bottles.

What steps are you taking to be more sustainable? Maybe you’ll consider one of the above destinations for your next holiday and help the planet in the process.

Check Out the Most Beautiful Eco-Tourist Locations in the World!

There are a lot of great places to visit if you are concerned about protecting the environment. You will want to check out the locations on this list. They are going to make it easier for you to live up to your pledge to be sustainable.