Have You Heard Of Eco Friendly Travel?

Along with the proliferation of eco friendly products on the market, there has been an upswing in the popularity of sustainability in other sectors including travel and tourism.

Eco travel, also known as green travel or ecotourism, is the concept of sustainable tourism and responsible travel. This is where whatever travel is undertaken is done so in an eco friendly way that helps to protect and preserve the natural and cultural environment of the destination.

It aims to avoid the negative effects of travel, which can include damage to the natural environment and local culture, as well as the emission of carbon into the atmosphere through air and car transport.

While mass tourism can sometimes cause negative outcomes for a local community, ecotourism strives to make sure that the community benefits – for instance, through being directly involved as tour guides or being empowered to open their own businesses or venues for accommodation.

These days, more tour and travel operators are choosing to go green, and many participate in the national Eco Certification Program.

Eco Tourism Australia runs this globally recognised certification in our nation, which can assist travellers in choosing environmentally, socially and economically sustainable travel and tour providers. This certification gives confidence that when a tour travels with one of these operators, they are heading out with companies who have a strong and well-managed commitment to sustainable practices.

As well as this, a Climate Action Certification Program has recently become available to help travellers choose operators who can reduce or even eliminate their carbon footprint.

Many airlines also offer an option where you can cancel out the carbon emissions from your flight by paying a small fee that goes towards environmental preservation programs.