COVID-19 lesson: Sustainable travel is the future

According to a travel portal's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, respondents revealed that the pandemic-induced pause has forced them to re-evaluate their travel choices. 88% said they wanted to travel more sustainably in the future and 75 per cent of Indian travellers believe that people have to act now to save the planet for future generations.

Sustainable travel (Pic courtesy: IANS)

The lockdown has been hard in many ways with travellers itching to get out and explore again. This pause has led us to reflect on our impact on the environment and local communities for when we do start taking trips again. According to Booking.com's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, 88 per cent of respondents revealed that it has encouraged them to travel more sustainably in the future and 75 per cent of Indian travellers believe that people have to act now to save the planet for future generations.

Luckily, making sustainable choices has become easier and more affordable than one expects. There are many simple ways we can limit our environmental impact, and better support and engage with local communities during our upcoming trips. To help make it easier for everyone to travel more sustainably, the portal shares seven handy tips to create a positive impact on your next trip, when it is safe to do so again. And now with Canada, Germany and Maldives being the three latest countries to have opened up travel for Indian citizens, along with domestic travel that is slowly picking up, keeping these sustainable choices in mind becomes all the more important.

Choose a sustainable accommodation 
Picking a more sustainable place to stay for your next trip is a great place to start -- and it doesn`t necessarily mean spending a lot of money. There are plenty of sustainable options for every budget and taste. In fact, 98 per cent of Indian travellers say that they want to stay in a sustainable accommodation in the upcoming year. One of the easiest ways to confidently book a more sustainable property is to check and see if it has an established eco-label or third-party sustainability certification. There are numerous, reputable third-party sustainability certifications that properties can work towards and achieve.

Get off the beaten track
The pandemic has influenced 72 per cent of Indian travellers to avoid popular destinations and attractions to ensure they aren't contributing to overcrowding. Being mindful when choosing your next trip can help reduce over tourism, which can be a major issue for fragile environments, ecosystems and local communities. Consider travelling to lesser-known destinations or a location just outside a busy sightseeing area. Alternatively travel during off-peak seasons when there are fewer other visitors.

Bye Bye, plastic!
Limiting single-use plastic is arguably one of the greatest environmental challenges we face. With an estimated 91 per cent of plastic not being recycled, most of it ends up either in the ocean or landfills. Many properties have taken numerous steps to either reduce or eliminate single-use plastics from their operations, but travellers can also take simple steps like using reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic bottles of water while on vacation or packing your own reusable toiletry bottles with your favourite products from home. An alternative to single-use plastic are steel water bottles which are more durable and can be used for years. This will not only reduce your consumption on holiday but you can also bring it home with you - helping you become more sustainable in your day-to-day life.

Book virtuous activities that give back to the community
When planning activities for your trip, look for tour companies that give back to and empower the local community, and also engage in ethical tourism practices. By supporting these companies, local communities can directly and equally benefit from the travel industry.

Pick up one item of rubbish when you leave
A good rule of thumb for travelling more sustainably, is to try and leave the places you visit better than when you found them. A simple way to do this is to pick up a discarded item of rubbish that isn't yours when you leave - a small but important step in taking care of our environment. And every action counts - just picking up one piece of plastic on a beach means one less piece ending up in the sea.

Buy locally
When you travel, one of the best ways to support the local economy and limit your carbon footprint is to shop locally and eat food from street vendors or restaurants that use sustainably sourced produce. Avoid eating at popular fast-food chains that usually import produce from all across the globe and eat in local restaurants that likely use local produce instead. And if you're cooking for yourself, try to purchase from local markets, too.

Bring good habits with you on vacation
Many are already conscious at home about turning off the lights when we are not using them, or being careful about when and how high we use the air-conditioning. However, 59 per cent of Indian travellers believe it's harder to make sustainable choices on vacation. A sustainable first step could be as simple as remembering to carry those mindful habits from home along when you travel. While switching over to LED light fixtures or having keycard controlled power in the room aren't things you can control as a guest, travellers can ensure they switch off the lights when they step out of their room, reuse their towels or forego daily linen changes and being more mindful of the length of the showers they take.