Eco Travel – Responsible Holidaying.

The idea of eco travel is based around the idea of making the right and responsible decisions. Eco travel goes against the grain in terms of mass tourism and look to make holidays a far more low impact affair. An eco travel holiday would have a huge emphasize on appreciating natural habitats and preserving them for generations to come. Usually the financial gain made from the visitors to the area would go to a conservation organization which would be working directly within the area. Eco travel boosts the local area where the tourism takes place. When booking an eco travel holiday you can be assured the money you pay for your holiday will be injected straight back into the local area.

 A true eco holiday will not have a destination that involves huge hotels with a mass of facilities. These holidays are about appreciating the local culture, not bringing all your conveniences and luxuries with you. Being ‘green’ is a hot topic right now; therefore some companies are marketing their holidays as being ‘green’ when in fact they are not. Companies sometimes label their holidays green just because the surrounding area of their luxury hotel is very naturally beautiful. This is not a green holiday but it can be quite easy to fool people into believing it is. Ask yourself, how a huge resort which is pumping lots of harmful gases could be a part of eco travelling – it is not. Be particularly careful of holidays in jungle resorts, they often claim to offer green holidays so be sure to check the facts.

How do people travel?

Travelling can simply be a human walking although if it is a fairly short distance it is not considered travelling as such. Travel is usually assisted by a man made vehicle which (depending on what it is) can move quite quickly. The four most common modes of transport are water transport (ferries, hover crafts), trains, cars or aero planes. These modes each depend on their environment and are directly affected by the elements. If weather becomes extreme there is a likelihood they will be unable to function. Each of these modes of transport runs on fuel, such as petrol along with other components. Modes of transport along with household appliances have come under scrutiny due to their emissions of carbon dioxide gases and the harmful effect this has on the environment. That said it will come as no surprise that there are now ‘green’ modes of transport are popping up everywhere and we are being encouraged to use them wherever we can.

 The electric car is a more common sight on our roads now. Local authorities have even installed chargers for these cars on streets making it easier for people to own one. Eco scooters are now more widely available as well. For the journeys more further afield some ships and other modes of water transport have devices on them that responsibly recycle waste water instead of pumping it into the sea. This waste water could contain harmful chemicals from cleaning fluids so disposing of these in the right way is an important step forward. Smaller vessels now come in a range that is run on solar energy, a good option for the more ethically minded traveler. Airlines are constantly looking at ways to cut their emissions. They realize their customers are becoming more aware of reducing their carbon footprint and will look to airlines to see where they are making changes.

What is travel? Why travel?

The word ‘travel’ can be applied to most human beings throughout their lives. People who are almost always moving around are known as ‘travelers’. So why can we apply this word to so many of the population? It is in our curious natures and minds to want to go and see new things and experience different sensations. Travelling will bring us to pastures new and this may be a hundred miles or a thousand miles away, either way there will something different in that location and it may capture our minds. There are very many other reasons why somebody would want to travel. Relaxation is probably one of main reasons people want to travel. People look forward to time away from their hectic lives and are generally willing to travel far away usually to a place known for its tranquility. 

 People can also travel due to their job. This could be a business meeting, although there is less demand for this now due to things such as conference calls, live video links and the internet. People have always, and always will travel to visit family/friends who do not live in their locality. Other reasons people travel are things like to carry out research (charity or medical), migration or regular commuting.

Some people dedicate a period of their lives to travelling. This often involves a round trip which will see the person go out and visit several different places and return to their home. This kind of travelling can be quite lengthily and will usually involve the person who is travelling wanting to gain experiences of other cultures and beliefs. The places on the round trip would almost certainly involve monuments and landmarks.

The evolution of Eco Tourism

Eco tourism is the responsible way to travel to natural areas that conserves the environment. Eco tourism is about conservation, improving communities in the poorest areas of the world, and how to travel reducing your carbon footprint (Responsible Travel).

Eco tourism is becoming popular due to societies awareness to environmental issues. Students taking gap years, families wanting a different type of holiday and environmental groups are now embarking on eco travel as a way of becoming a more responsible traveller.