Tips for More Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Travel

Uncover methods of sustainable travel with our expert tips to make your journeys eco-friendly and impactful. Embrace eco-friendly tourism for a better planet!

Sunset over Mileto. Photo by Emily Fata.

There’s a moment in every trip when, often, you realize travel isn’t only about you.

Maybe it’s when you’re standing on a beach watching plastic bottles wash up beside your sandals, or when you’re hiking a mountain path and notice the once-clear view blurred by smog. You feel small in the grand scheme of things, but you also realize the choices you make can have a real impact.

Travel gives us the gift of new places, cultures, and flavours, and if we want to keep enjoying those gifts for years to come, we need to take care of them (yes, it’s a little bit cliché and a little bit lecture-y, but it has to be said).

This is exactly where eco-friendly habits and sustainable tourism step in, transforming every journey into an opportunity to do better for the planet while still soaking up the adventure and not losing out on any experiences.

Make Sustainable Travel Part of the Journey

The best time to think about sustainability isn’t when you arrive, but when you’re planning the trip itself. 

Choosing destinations with strong environmental policies can make a significant difference, as your tourism dollars ultimately support communities that value and protect their environment. Considering how easy it is to get around by train, bus, or bike can also influence your itinerary in a greener way. It can be tempting to chase the cheapest flights, but sometimes opting for a direct route, even if it costs a bit more, can significantly reduce carbon emissions (and also save you time).

Another underrated planning step is packing light. Airlines burn more fuel with heavier loads, and besides, you’ll thank yourself later when you’re not dragging three suitcases up cobblestone streets that are full of clothes you don’t even end up using. Think of every item you pack as an intentional choice, or your travel capsule wardrobe might surprise you with how versatile it becomes.

Ultimately, you can also offset your travel footprint. There are reputable carbon offset programs that funnel money into reforestation or renewable energy projects (One Tree Planted is one option to consider). While offsetting alone won’t solve climate change, it’s a way of acknowledging the impact and balancing it with action.

Travel Slowly and Embrace Local Living

Local food for the win!

The idea that you have to sprint through every sight on a list is exhausting, and honestly, it robs you of the joy of discovery.

Slow travel is not only kinder to your energy levels, but it’s also better for the planet. Spending more time in one place reduces the carbon emissions you’d rack up from constant transportation. It also lets you dive deeper into the community, finding the corner café where locals grab their morning espresso or the family-run trattoria that doesn’t even have a menu, as everything is fresh from the market that day.

Staying in locally-owned guesthouses or eco-lodges keeps money in the community and gives you the chance to learn directly from people who call the place home. Another benefit is that you naturally start adapting to local rhythms.

Whether that’s walking to the market instead of hopping in a cab, or taking part in a town festival instead of chasing a big tourist attraction, you’re living more lightly. Even grocery shopping becomes a meaningful act when you’re buying regional produce instead of imported goods shipped across the world.

The slower pace enriches your travel experience while simultaneously weaving sustainability into every moment of your stay.

Choose Greener Ways to Get Around

Transportation is one of the biggest factors in the environmental impact of travel, and how you move around a destination really matters. Walking is the most obvious low-impact option, and it doubles as the best way to actually notice the details you’d miss whizzing by in a car.

You’ll stumble across street art, local bakeries, or quiet gardens that never make it into the guidebooks. 

Cycling is another excellent choice, and many cities now offer public bike-share programs that make it easy to rent wheels for an hour or a day. If pedalling isn’t your thing, buses and trains are usually far more energy-efficient than private vehicles, and they give you the added perk of people-watching while you ride. 

In some destinations, ferries or electric boats offer scenic alternatives that also reduce pollution compared to diesel-powered ships. Car rentals aren’t always avoidable, but when they are, opting for a hybrid or electric vehicle can make a significant difference (you can often even opt into using an electric vehicle when using a rideshare service).

Even small choices, such as carpooling with fellow travellers or planning routes to avoid unnecessary trips, can reduce emissions. Moving around with intention becomes part of the adventure, and you end up seeing more than you ever would stuck in traffic.

Support Local Businesses and Communities

Spending money while travelling is inevitable, but where you spend it can significantly impact the overall balance of tourism in a place.

Eating at locally owned restaurants rather than international chains puts your dollars into the hands of people who actually live in the community. Those meals are also more likely to feature regional ingredients and recipes, offering a taste of authentic local culture.

Shopping at craft markets or independent boutiques supports artisans, and also usually means your souvenirs come with a story. Choosing locally run tour operators ensures that guides know the land, history, and traditions firsthand, rather than from a script.

Once again, accommodation plays a role, too. Guesthouses, homestays, and eco-lodges often reinvest profits in community development, supporting initiatives such as schools, healthcare, and conservation projects. Even the simple act of buying fruit from a street vendor instead of a supermarket keeps your spending tied to the community.

The ripple effect is real: sustainable travel flourishes when your money flows directly into local hands, giving communities both the incentive and the ability to preserve what makes their home special.

A local medieval fair I attended in Motta Filocastro to get a taste of the area's history. Photo by Emily Fata.

Be Mindful of Energy and Water Use

Hotel rooms can sometimes feel like no-consequence zones, as if flicking on every light, cranking the air conditioning, and leaving the shower running is different than at home. The truth is that your energy and water consumption while travelling has just as much of an impact, and sometimes even more so in destinations where resources are stretched thin.

Simple habits like turning off lights when you leave a room, unplugging chargers, and keeping thermostats at a moderate level help reduce unnecessary strain. Showers are another significant concern, as long, hot ones might feel luxurious, but they use water at an alarming rate. Opting for shorter showers or reusing towels instead of requesting fresh ones daily conserves both water and the energy required to launder linens.

Air conditioning is another resource hog, and using it only when you really need it makes a bigger difference than you might think. Even small gestures, such as closing curtains during the day to keep a room cool or opening a window for natural airflow, can help reduce energy consumption.

Each of these mindful choices may seem insignificant on its own, but collectively, they create a more sustainable footprint and set an example that respectful travel isn’t about sacrificing comfort; it’s about being conscious.

Reduce Waste While You Wander

Travelling often comes with an avalanche of single-use packaging, from airport snacks wrapped in plastic to takeaway cups from cafés. Being mindful of waste can significantly reduce your environmental footprint while also helping to keep destinations cleaner.

Carrying a reusable water bottle (I love mine from My Bougie Bottle) is a good place to start, especially in cities with safe tap water or refill stations, which saves countless disposable bottles from piling up in landfills. A collapsible coffee cup or travel mug makes it easy to enjoy your caffeine fix without contributing to the mountain of paper cups tossed each day.

Cloth tote bags are a handy option for market visits or shopping trips, helping you avoid collecting endless plastic bags. Even small swaps, such as bringing your own cutlery set or opting out of straws, can help reduce waste.

Composting isn’t always possible while you travel, but you can still dispose of food scraps responsibly and avoid unnecessary packaging by eating in instead of ordering takeout. Paying attention to what you throw away connects you more closely to the rhythm of daily life in a place and helps preserve the beauty that drew you there in the first place.

Respect Nature and Cultural Heritage

One of the greatest joys of travel is immersing yourself in places that are wildly different from your everyday world, whether that’s through landscapes, wildlife, or cultural treasures. Respecting these elements is at the heart of sustainable tourism.

Roadside produce in Tropea. Photo by Emily Fata.

When exploring natural areas, stay on marked trails to avoid damaging delicate ecosystems and resist the temptation to pocket shells, rocks, or plants as keepsakes. Wildlife should be admired at a respectful distance, not fed or handled, since human interaction can harm both animals and their habitats.

Cultural heritage deserves equal care. Ancient ruins, religious sites, and traditional ceremonies are not backdrops for selfies—they are living testaments to a community’s history and identity. Following posted guidelines, dressing appropriately, and seeking permission before photographing people all reflect a traveller’s respect.

Supporting conservation programs, whether that’s a donation or participating in clean-up efforts, deepens your connection to a destination while also helping to preserve it for future visitors.

When you treat nature and culture with reverence, you’re not only being a responsible guest, you’re enriching your own travel experience with a sense of awe and gratitude.

All in All

The beauty of eco-friendly and sustainable tourism is that it doesn’t take monumental effort, only intentional choices. From the way you plan your trip, to how you move around, to the businesses you support and the resources you use, each step creates ripples of positive impact.

Sustainable travel isn’t about being perfect; instead, it’s about caring enough to try. Every refillable water bottle you carry, every locally made meal you enjoy, and every respectful step you take on a trail adds up to a travel story that benefits both you and the place you’re visiting. The world is a patchwork of cultures, landscapes, and traditions, and we have the privilege of experiencing it.

Let’s also shoulder the responsibility of protecting it.

Next time you pack your bag, think of it as more than a personal adventure. Think of it as a chance to make the world a little better than you found it. Small shifts lead to lasting change, and travelling sustainably proves that caring for the planet and enjoying it go hand in hand.

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