The terms “green travel” or
“ecotourism” evoke a wide variety of images ranging from sleeping in hammocks
to purchasing pricey hemp luggage from the newest “hip” shopping center.
However, to travel green one does not have to do without luxury or inversely to
spend a lot of money. It simply means doing your part to preserve the ecology
of the place(s) you visit. In fact, green travel can save you money at the same
time. We have provided the following list of 30 ways to save money through
green tourism, while at the same time doing your part to “save the planet”.
Packing and Planning:
1. Pack light, especially when
flying. It not only saves on extra baggage fees, but less baggage equals less
weight equals less fuel.
2. Print maps and tourist
information before you go. Better yet, borrow a guidebook from the local
library and save a tree.
3. Purchase empty travel bottles and
fill them with your favorite shampoo and other products. By reusing them on
multiple trips you save money and keep dozens of travel size bottles from local
landfills.
4. Bring your own digital camera
instead of purchasing an expensive disposable camera that can only be used once
before being dumped in a landfill.
5. Consider purchasing a solar
charger as most cameras, cell phones and iPods can be quickly and easily
recharged this way.
6. Consider traveling closer to home
this year to avoid flying. Flying is getting more expensive every day and uses
a tremendous amount of fuel and contributes a lot of pollution to the air.
7. Combine work and play. If you
have to fly somewhere on business plan your personal vacation before or after
so you won’t have to fly twice.
Transportation:
8. Whenever possible get around town
using public transportation.
9. Take short trips by walking or
using a bicycle.
10. If you have to rent a car get a
small one, or better yet rent a hybrid. Many car rental companies are now
offering hybrid vehicles. Sure they might cost a little bit more to rent, but
typically you save on fuel prices.
11. If taking your own automobile,
take some or all of the following steps to increase your fuel efficiency and
save on gas costs while reducing emissions. Have a tune-up before you leave,
make sure your tires are properly inflated and reduce the number of unnecessary
items you might have stored in the back seat or in your trunk. Turn off the air
conditioner whenever possible. Reduce any drag on your car by removing roof
racks and driving with your windows closed.
12. Carpool whenever one is available.
Carpooling is not just for work anymore!
During Your Trip:
13. Eat locally produced food. It is
a lot healthier and less expensive and it saves on all the shipping costs and
emissions from transporting them across the country.
14. Buy locally produced souvenirs.
Handicrafts made by locals are not only sustainable but they are often a
fraction of the price of items shipped in from out of town.
15. Visit local, state and national
parks and reserves. The costs are usually very reasonable and the fees are used
to support these protected areas.
16. Bring your own reusable water
bottle instead of filling up landfills with old ones. If the tap water is not
safe to drink at your destination, purchase a gallon size or larger of water
and use it to refill your smaller bottle. It saves you money buying in bulk and
saves the environment from billions of water bottles.
Accommodation:
17. Stay with family and friends
whenever possible. Hotels use a lot more energy and resources than homes
through daily cleaning, mini bottles of shampoo, hallway lights constantly lit.
Whenever you do stay in hotels remember to turn off the lights and TV, turn the
A/C down whenever you leave, and when an option reuse the towels and sheets
instead of changing them daily.
18. Look into a home exchange
whenever you can. This type of tourism not only saves you money over an
expensive hotel, but you can more easily practice green living while away from
home.
As you can see, using just a few
items from the list above can save money and energy and helps one protect the
environment while traveling.
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