Eco tourism

Eco tourism is very much the hot buzz word in the travel world. For years, most of us were content to jump on the cheapest flight to a sunny resort in Spain, or travel the world on college gap years without considering the environmental impact – simply the cost! Nowadays of course, the emphasis on ecology is growing, as we begin to witness the effects that climate change has on our population and local environment – and as technology allows us to measure our carbon footprints and understand where we are contributing to environmental damage.

Travel in cars and planes particularly, does add considerable weight to an individual`s carbon footprint, in a way that train and boat travel doesn`t. So sustainable eco holidays offer a way for people to enjoy their holiday without worrying that they are leaving a damaging legacy. The younger generation certainly has grown up with the impacts and first-hand experiences of pollution and climate change and tends to be very well informed and passionate about preserving the planet. This encourages marketeers to develop new products that match their social consciousness.

As well as holidays that seek to minimise the impact of travel – there are a range of holidays that offer individuals ways to volunteer and do something positive with their free time – via eco holidays. These can include a huge range of options and generally combine fantastic tours and local hospitality with volunteering or projects that have a positive community impact. In the UK there are a range of volunteering holidays through organisations such as the National Trust where individuals go and help restore roads, tracks and heritage properties in return for accommodation, food, learning and the feeling that they are doing something positive for the future. Eco tourism holidays abroad include rainforest preservation and education holidays in Ecuador, nature reserve holidays in Cuba, education and volunteering holidays in India and plenty more. There are also eco holidays that help people stay in eco friendly lodges, spas and other accommodations that have a positive role to play in the community, rather than damaging it – which has often been a criticism of more traditional eco-tourism.

You can also build your own eco-holiday simply by thinking about your plans more carefully. For example, you could arrange to drive your family to Eurocamp San Vito / Cisano Holiday Park and rent a low-emission, diesel or even electric hybrid car for the duration, using a ferry to travel overseas, rather than a plane. By staying in a self-catering lodge, you could commit to cooking vegetarian food or locally-sourced produce that is gathered in a sustainable way, using organic farming practices. You could also seek to enjoy environmentally friendly activities such as enjoying the local countryside, teaching your kids about their environment and generally enjoying the finer and simpler things in life – and clearing up well behind you! Et voila – one very simple, self-designed and managed eco- holiday that anyone would be proud of!