Sustainable Travel vs Eco-Tourism
Being conscientious of our impact on the planet is the first, necessary step toward change; but how do we take this information and transform it into action? Well, we do the four necessary steps required in the acquisition of new, important information.
Step 1: Hop onto good old-fashioned Google or have a wee scroll through Instagram for some ideas
Step 2: Instantly realise that a terrible mistake has been made as we hit a wall of information complete with dos and don’t’s, tips, tricks, buzzwords, and lies
Step 3: Get depressed
Step 4: Give up
Our journey toward being more climate-minded, conscientious travellers has ended before it has even had time to begin. So, let’s take two keywords that we hear time and again, sustainable travel and eco-tourism, and break them down into more manageable definitions to take the fear and depression out of becoming more eco-friendly travellers.
If you get frustrated at any time just remember, we don’t really have a choice. That always gets me through. So, here we go.
Sustainable Travel
In simple terms, sustainable travel is a framework for travellers and the tourism industry to help reduce the negative impacts of global travel. There is usually a focus on reducing carbon footprints, protecting the environment, reducing problematic consumption practices (think single-use plastics like non-reusable, non-recyclable water bottles), and promoting healthy economic growth.
I usually think about this as being more general or having a wider scope than eco-tourism.
Eco-Tourism
Eco-Tourism covers a lot of the same basic ideas as sustainable travel but puts more focus on natural environments, such as flora, fauna, and natural resources. Often, tourist behaviour has to meet strict standards to insure the well-being of the natural world. The general principle is cause no harm to nature.
I usually think of this in terms of things such as guided-only excursions to the Galapagos and Bhutan; places banning harmful activities like big-game hunting; or no-selfie rules being implemented in Lake Tahoe, California.
So, there it is in simple terms. Nothing too scary and, in essence, quite simple. And really that is what is at the heart of this matter, us as individuals making simple changes to create a pattern of lasting, sustainable behaviour that insures we can keep exploring our world without causing further damage to it.
I hope this makes things a wee bit clearer.
Happy travels!