Consistent Although it is often confused with being environmentally friendly, sustainability goes beyond environmental protection. A sustainable experience should not only have a low impact, but also provide socio-economic benefits to the communities you visit. Dedicated companies publish their efforts (such as environmental initiatives and social projects) in an annual report online; Destinations share a regularly updated management plan. Transparency is the key.
Regenerative As a responsible traveler, minimizing your footprint has been important for decades. Now it is part of contributing to a goal while you are there. Brands are increasingly providing immersive experiences to restore or rebuild a place – primarily educational trips and volunteering with a focus on nature or culture led by community leaders or conservation experts. (Make sure you decide to take a few hours of sustainable farming and learn about native plants.)
Certified green There are more than 150 sustainable travel brand certification labels, but the most reliable are internationally accredited by an independent body such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which was founded in part by the UN World Tourism Organization. Brands you can trust include EarthCheck, Green Destinations, Rainforest Alliance, Travelife, and EcoTourism Australia; You can often spot them on the provider’s website. —Lebawit Girma
Being green certified can signal a company’s ecological footprint, but that’s not all that matters.
Klaus Kremmerz
3. Don’t miss the goal
While a seal of approval from trusted organizations is often a good indicator of a company’s green credibility, the lack of it is not necessarily a red flag. The certification process can be costly for small and community based businesses in low to middle income countries. The term cannot be used broadly either, especially in parts of the world where there are many resource issues. And for indigenous communities, sustainability is often not a tick; It’s a way of life. Ultimately, if a place is not certified, evaluate it for diversity and equity to make an informed decision. —LG
Tip well and hold responsibility for everyone who made your experience great.
Klaus Kremmerz
4. Be generous
A rule of thumb for traveling after a pandemic: tip more and more often than before, and broaden your habits to include those you may not have considered. Did you eat an extraordinary meal? Consider leaving something special for the kitchen staff too. Do you have a relaxing hotel stay? Take into account every person who made you feel at home, including the friendly team at the door. Remember, it takes a village to make your journey – and to keep you safe. —LA
5. Get a jump start
Making more informed travel decisions isn’t always easy, but platforms are popping up that offer free and easy shortcuts to help us do this. From Finland that Carbon donut App shows you how your emissions are developing towards a global goal with those of other users and offers short, insightful courses on topics such as the climate impacts of flying; Metasearch tool Skyscanner, meanwhile marks lower-emission flights on a certain route with the label “Greener choice”. Travelers can rest easy when they see a company from. is certified B Corporation, a non-profit organization that uses a rigorous audit to assess a company’s environmental, social and governance metrics. (Intrepid Travel is the best known ethical tour operator that has been accredited by them.) The Canada based Homeland app can show you in many parts of the world which indigenous areas you are in and which languages are spoken there. There are also aggregators available to help break greenwashing in the accommodation landscape, including booking platforms like Regenerative travel, Beyond green (which recently became part of Preferred Hotel Group) and the new one Considerate collection from Small luxury hotelsalthough hotels pay to be part of these portfolios. The truth is, we are still looking for a completely holistic method of weighing each decision. But until then we can orientate ourselves by the lighthouses that we have. —Juliet Kinsman
