It’s not just about crowded streets or beaches \u2014 over-tourism<\/strong> has serious environmental consequences<\/strong> too.<\/p>\n So how can we keep exploring without leaving such a heavy footprint? And where should we go if we want to travel green?<\/p>\n Firstly, what are the environmental issues with travelling abroad?<\/p>\n When most people think about travelling abroad, the first environmental cost that comes to mind is air trave<\/strong>l.<\/p>\n Flying is known to leave a big carbon footprint. (Marchcattle)<\/p>\n “Flying usually involves a very high carbon intensity,” Professor Susanne Becken, a sustainable tourism expert at Griffith University, said.<\/p>\n But it’s not just planes. Travelling can impact the environment in other ways.<\/p>\n “Water use<\/strong> is a big one, especially in dry regions like deserts or fragile mangrove systems,” Dr Becken explained.<\/p>\n “Tourism also produces waste \u2014 think plastic litter on beaches<\/strong> \u2014 and while tourism brings economic benefits, it needs careful management to reduce negative impacts.”<\/p>\n Justin Francis, CEO of the UK-based Responsible Travel, agreed it was difficult for travellers to avoid leaving a footprint but there were ways to reduce the impacts.<\/p>\n “At its best, travel can do immense good, both for local communities and conservation. We don’t need to stop flying completely \u2014 but until it’s genuinely sustainable, we do need to fly less,” he said.<\/p>\n What parts of travel have the biggest environmental impact?<\/p>\n Not all travel is equal.<\/p>\n Cruise ships<\/strong> are often worse than planes in terms of energy use, according to Dr Becken.<\/p>\n A sailing boat is fine, but cruise ships are another matter entirely. (Supplied: Royal Caribbean International)<\/p>\n “Sometimes people joke, ‘I’ll just take a boat,’ but only a sailing boat works \u2014 cruise trips are incredibly energy intensive,” she said.<\/p>\n She said cars are relatively efficient, particularly ride sharing<\/strong> with family or friends. Buses and trains <\/strong>are even better.<\/p>\n Tourism contributes around 8.8 per cent of global carbon emissions<\/strong>, with aviation, luxury hotels, and cruises as major drivers, according to Dr Becken.<\/p>\n “A single return flight from Australia to Europe produces more carbon than a person in a developing country emits in an entire year,” she said.<\/p>\n Mr Francis recommended taking fewer flights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n “Instead, stay longer in a destination and make your visit count,” he said.<\/p>\n “You can maximise the positive impacts of your trip in many ways \u2014 from staying in local-owned, low-impact accommodations and employing a local guide, to visiting local conservation and rewilding initiatives.”<\/p>\n He said food and accommodation<\/strong> choices mattered just as much as transport.<\/p>\n “Aside from not flying, there are other ways to significantly reduce your holiday carbon. One of the best is to stick to local-sourced, seasonal produce \u2014 and less meat,” he said.<\/p>\n “Renewable powered, nature-friendly accommodation will also have a big impact \u2014 as will opting for public transport or even human-powered tours like walking, cycling or kayaking.”<\/p>\n What is the carbon footprint of tourism?<\/p>\n For most travellers, air travel dominates their carbon footprint. Domestic trips are far lighter on emissions, making them a good option for those looking to travel more sustainably.<\/p>\n “Attending a conference and then extending your stay for a holiday can be a more efficient way to reduce overall carbon impact. Once you start being conscious of carbon emissions, it becomes almost like an investment \u2014 you want to get a lot out of each trip,” Dr Becken said.<\/p>\n Holidaying when you travel for work can make a difference, experts say. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)<\/p>\n Mr Francis said travellers should also be wary of misleading claims.<\/p>\n “No holiday which involves a flight can claim to be ‘carbon neutral<\/strong>‘ or ‘carbon positive’ \u2014 these are irresponsible marketing ploys,” he explained.<\/p>\n “We can’t fight climate heating and biodiversity loss by offsetting, the focus must be on real carbon reduction and rewilding. Greenwashing<\/strong> is a problem. It isn’t realistic to be perfect \u2014 but we need to be honest about impacts and equip travellers with the information they need to make informed choices.”<\/p>\n What’s the most environmentally friendly way to travel?<\/p>\n Domestic travel<\/strong> is the simplest starting point.<\/p>\n “It’s lighter on carbon emissions and also supports regional economies,” Dr Becken said.<\/p>\n Where possible, choose buses, trains, or electric vehicles instead of planes. And if you do travel overseas, consider lesser-known destinations.<\/p>\n “It’s not about just ticking off the famous spots. Explore nature, spend with local suppliers, and choose experiences that are meaningful rather than crowded,” she said.<\/p>\n Mr Francis agreed over-tourism was one of the biggest challenges, with social media fuelling pressure on hotspots.<\/p>\n Over-tourism is one of the biggest challenges, with social media fuelling pressure on hotspots. (Pexels: unsplash.com)<\/p>\n “Over-tourism isn’t a new phenomenon, but a combination of factors has fuelled it \u2014 cheap package holidays, Airbnb<\/strong>, supersize cruises and social media have been a huge driving force,” he said.<\/p>\n “It’s a big world \u2014 many destinations would welcome more tourism, but algorithms and influencers are concentrating people in these honey pots.”<\/p>\n He said more travellers were seeking out quieter places.<\/p>\n “The first question I ask travellers isn’t, ‘What do you want to see?’ \u2014 I ask them what they’d like to experience,” he said.<\/p>\n “I think more people are searching for less visited places. But more than that, they’re looking to feel more deeply connected with nature and community. Part of that is putting the camera phone away sometimes and just being more present in a moment and a place.”<\/p>\n He said demand for eco-conscious trips was also rising fast.<\/p>\n “When we travel in a way that respects people and places and is led by local people, it’s also much more enjoyable. Increasingly, travellers want their holiday to do something positive,” he said.<\/p>\n “Because of that demand, there’s a growing number of ways to give back as you travel \u2014 from conservation and citizen science trips to rewilding holidays and Indigenous-led tours. People want these holidays, so others are creating them around the world.”<\/p>\n The bottom line?<\/p>\n Over-tourism and environmental pressures don’t mean we have to stop travelling. With a bit of planning and awareness, it’s possible to see the world while protecting it \u2014 and maybe even discover hidden gems along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Travel is one of life’s great pleasures \u2014 discovering new places, tasting local food and soaking up new…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":188932,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[36894,746,23697,105736,105737,11090,105738,159,1164,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-188931","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-carbon-footprint","9":"tag-environment","10":"tag-environmental","11":"tag-green-travel","12":"tag-green-washing","13":"tag-holiday","14":"tag-over-tourism","15":"tag-science","16":"tag-travel","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115122115922489455","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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