Eco-friendly travel or green travel is travel that acknowledges the importance of protecting the natural and cultural aspects of the places we visit. It is a leading trend in travel today with millions of environmentally conscious tourists hitting the road every year. If you want to become a more eco-friendly traveler here are three simple steps you can take: use alternative modes of transportation, stay at green hotels, and use resources wisely.
Use Alternative Modes of Transportation
A car or a plane is involved in most travel, but some studies estimate that these modes of transportation are responsible for up to 10% of the carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Whenever possible use alternative modes of transportation like trains, public transportation, or even your feet. Denver has many walking tour such as those led by Denver History Tours covering everything from the art district on Santa Fe to the haunted history of Capitol Hill.
If plane travel is unavoidable choose non-stop flights because airplanes burn the most fuel during lift-off and landing. Also choose companies that are green conscious like Southwest Airlines who recycle all cabin waste, and were one of the first airlines to offer electronic tickets.
Car companies are also responding to the growing desire for eco-friendly options. Enterprise, National, and Alamo all offer hybrid rentals in most markets. Car Sharing is another option. You can use a car for an hour or a week, and there are organizations in Boulder and Aspen that have cars available with membership fees as low as $10 a month.
Stay in Green Hotels
Green hotels are environmentally friendly properties that make an effort to conserve water, energy, and local culture. The Green Hotel Association has listings of green hotels in most major American cities. In Denver, Hotel Monaco is recognized as a leading green hotel. They offer in-room recycling, and donate all unused amenity bottles to local charities.
If you are not staying in an officially recognized green hotel there are steps you can take to reduce the impact of your stay. Always turn lights and air conditioning or heating off when you are not in the room to save electricity. Tell housekeeping that you do not need your linens and towels laundered every day to help conserve water. Also many hotels offer electronic check out through the television in your room to eliminate paper waste. However, the best thing you can do if you’re staying at a non-green hotel is to talk to management or leave a comment card expressing your desire for more eco-friendly practices.
Use Resources Wisely
A big part of eco-friendly travel is adjusting your personal travel style. In 2020 there will be an estimated 1.56 billion tourists worldwide, and if everyone takes even the smallest step toward eco-friendly travel it would make a huge difference.
Some ways to improve your green travel style include using rechargeable batteries in your digital camera and electronic devices. Only taking brochures and maps you really need from displays, and then returning them after. Also, though travel sized packages are convenient they results in more packaging and therefore more waste. Instead, pack your belongings in reusable containers that can be used not only on your trip, but also afterwords.
There are also dozens of on-line sites that help tourists make eco-friendly choices such as Sustainabletravel.org, Ecotourism.org, Ecotour.org, Rezhub.com, and GoGreenTravelGreen.com. Remember, green travel is a choice, so the most important thing you can do to be an eco-friendly tourist is it be informed and aware when you travel.
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