Traveling is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but every vacation leaves an environmental footprint. The way you get around, where you spend your money and what you pack all have an impact on the places you visit. With a handful of thoughtful choices, though, you can help protect local communities, wildlife and natural landscapes. Here’s how to make more eco-friendly decisions throughout your vacation without sacrificing the fun.
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1. Plan Before You Pack
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, travel and tourism generated 7.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, down from 8.3% in 2019. That’s a step forward, and you can help keep that trend moving by planning carefully.
Consider traveling during the shoulder season. Popular destinations are usually under the most pressure during peak months, which puts extra strain on local communities, wildlife and natural resources. Maya Bay in Thailand is an example of this. Years of heavy tourism reduced the coral reef’s coverage from 70-80% to less than 8%, prompting the beach to close in 2018 for restoration. It now closes during the monsoon season each year to give the ecosystem time to recover.
You can also slow your itinerary down by spending more time in one destination. Fewer transfers mean fewer transport emissions, and you’ll have more opportunities to discover local neighborhoods, family-run restaurants and hidden gems that many visitors may miss.
2. Make Greener Transportation Choices
Getting from one place to another usually makes up the biggest share of a vacation’s carbon footprint, so it’s a good idea to compare your options before booking. Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and its overall contribution to global warming is around 4%.
Trains and buses are often a more environmentally friendly way to go if you’re traveling shorter distances. However, if flying is the most practical choice, choosing a direct flight can help reduce emissions, since takeoffs and landings consume the most fuel.
After you arrive, you can keep making greener choices as you explore. Walking is a great way to discover a destination at your own pace, but cycling works well in bike-friendly cities like Utrecht in the Netherlands and Paris in France.
If those options don’t suit your destination, public transport is another good choice that also helps ease traffic congestion. For journeys where you need a car, consider renting an electric or hybrid vehicle.
3. Stay at an Accommodation That Gives Back
Where you stay can have a bigger impact than you might think. Before booking, take a few minutes to learn about a property’s environmental efforts. Many hotels now conserve water, use renewable energy, cut back on single-use plastics and source ingredients from nearby farms and suppliers.
You can also look for recognized sustainability certifications, such as Green Globe or the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which help identify accommodations committed to responsible tourism worldwide.
You can also help during your stay. Reuse towels and bed linen instead of requesting daily replacements, switch off lights and air conditioning whenever you leave your room, and avoid running taps longer than necessary. These habits take very little effort but can save substantial amounts of water and electricity over the course of your trip.
4. Pack Eco-Friendly Essentials
Packing a few reusable and eco-friendly items before you leave makes it much easier to make sustainable choices throughout your vacation. You’ll also be less likely to pick up disposable products after you arrive. This helps you keep waste to a minimum from the start. Here are some essentials to bring along with you:
- Reusable water bottle: This allows you to stay hydrated and cut down on single-use plastic bottles.
- Travel mug or reusable cutlery: It’s perfect if you love grabbing takeaway coffee or meals during your trip.
- Reef-safe sunscreen: Choosing a mineral-based sunscreen made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is the safer choice for coral reefs.
- Refillable toiletry bottles: These can help reduce plastic packaging and save space in your luggage. Alternatively, you can bring solid shampoo and soap bars.
These small additions don’t take up much room in your suitcase, but they can make eco-friendly choices much more convenient throughout your trip.
5. Choose Activities That Leave a Smaller Footprint
The attractions you visit also have a significant impact on the environment. Looking for attractions and experiences that care for the environment helps protect the places you’re there to enjoy and support businesses that are making positive changes.
Ethical Wildlife Experiences
If wildlife is part of your itinerary, spend a few minutes researching the operator before you book. Genuine animal sanctuaries care for animals that can’t return to the wild and provide them with space to roam and exhibit their natural behaviors. They don’t encourage hands-on encounters, animal performances or breeding for tourism.
You may also search for destinations recognized as Wildlife Heritage Areas, where responsible wildlife watching goes hand in hand with conservation and support for local communities.
Responsibly Enjoying the Water
Kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding are great ways to explore rivers, lakes and coastlines while causing less disturbance than motorized tours. If you encounter marine wildlife, keep a respectful distance and follow local regulations.
General guidance recommends staying at least 100 yards from large whales and at least 50 yards from dolphins, seals, porpoises, sea lions and sea turtles. Some destinations have even stricter rules, so it’s always best to check local guidance before heading out.
Attractions Investing in Cleaner Technologies
Eco-friendly choices don’t stop at nature-based activities. More entertainment venues are investing in cleaner technology to reduce their environmental impact. If go-karting is on your holiday itinerary, look for attractions with electric go-karts because they produce zero tailpipe emissions and eliminate the fuel spills associated with gas-powered models.
You may also come across amusement parks using electric-powered rides, trains or shuttle vehicles to cut emissions across their sites. Supporting attractions that embrace these changes is an easy way to enjoy yourself and encourage more sustainable tourism.
6. Eat, Shop and Support Local
The way you spend your money during your vacation can leave a lasting impact. Supporting local businesses helps communities benefit directly from tourism. Plus, it may also reduce the environmental costs associated with imported goods.
Heritage tourism is one way to do that. It encourages you to experience a destination’s history, culture and traditions through local businesses, attractions and crafts. Research suggests it can boost local economies and help preserve cultural heritage, improve infrastructure and support community services.
Food is another easy place to make a difference. Family-run restaurants that serve seasonal ingredients can give you a more authentic taste of the destination and reduce the need to transport ingredients over long distances. With around 1.05 billion tonnes of food wasted globally, make sure you order portions you know you’ll finish to help reduce food waste.
When you shop, skip products made from coral, endangered wildlife, shells or protected plants. These purchases can harm local ecosystems.
Leave Only Footprints
No single vacation will solve the environmental challenges facing tourism, but every trip is another chance to travel more thoughtfully. As you plan your next getaway, carry a few of these habits with you and build on them over time.