Tips to Travel Sustainably

Your travel can be more sustainable for the environment, cultures, and also community of the place you visit! It all depends on your choice, and it indeed makes a difference. These are some tips for sustainable traveling:

Five Easy Steps: Planning Your Trip

Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler. With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, while making a real difference to the people and places you visit.

1.

Search the web

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Look for information and resources on responsible travel, ecotourism, or sustainable tourism.

2.

Consult guidebooks

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Choose guidebooks with information on your destination's environmental, social and political issues, and read before booking. Guidebooks vary in quality, even within a series, but Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Moon are among the best.

3.

Make contact

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Call or email tour operators that have firsthand knowledge of the place you are considering visiting. Check the websites of all accommodations.

4.

Ask questions

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Let tour operators/hotels know that you are a responsible consumer. Before you book, ask about their social and environmental policies. For instance - What is your environmental policy? What percentage of your employees are local citizens? Do you support any projects to benefit the local community?

5.

Choose wisely

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Are the businesses you're considering certified? Do they have eco-label ratings, or have they won eco-awards?

Do's and Don'ts While Traveling

By exploring alternative travel choices, you can have a unique trip and avoid leaving negative marks on cultures, economies, and the environment.

1.

At the hotel

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Ask about environmental policies and practices. Talk with staff about working conditions. Does the hotel support community projects?

2.

Language

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Learn a few words of the local language and use them

3.

Dress

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Read up on local conventions and dress appropriately. In many countries, modest dress is important.

4.

Behavior

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Be respectful of local citizens’ privacy. Ask permission before entering sacred places, homes, or private land.

5.

Photos

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Be sensitive to when and where you take photos/video of people. Always ask first.

6.

Environment

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Respect the natural environment. Never touch or harass animals. Always follow designated trails. Support conservation by paying entrance fees to parks and protected sites.

7.

Animal products

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Never buy crafts or products made from protected or endanger-ed animals.

8.

Pay the fair price

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Don’t engage in overly aggressive bargaining for souvenirs. Don’t short-change on tips for services.

9.

Buy local

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Choose locally-owned lodges, hotels, and B&Bs. Use local buses, car rental agencies, and airlines. Eat in local restaurants, shop in local markets, and attend local festivals/events.

10.

Hire local guides

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Enrich your experience and support the local economy. Ask guides if they are licensed and live locally. Are they recommended by tour operators?

Flying Responsibly

Your flight can be the most polluting aspect of your travel. It is estimated that air traffic accounts for 10% of greenhouse gases worldwide. Opt for more environmentally friendly transport such as trains, buses, and passenger boats. Plan your trip so that you minimize air travel, and choose, whenever possible, to stay longer in a destination instead of making many short trips.

You can help offset unavoidable footprint by contributing to credible carbon offsetting programs that support conservation, renewable energy, and other energy saving projects.

Giving Back to Conservation & Communities

A growing number of tourism businesses are helping to financial and material support community projects and offering travelers the opportunity to get involved. Find best practice examples in your favorite destinations at www.indonesiaecotravel.com

We encourage you to contribute to and participate in these projects, and support those companies that are making positive impacts on the lives of local hosts. Like others, you'll find you enrich your travel experience when you help contribute to the well-being of the communities that you're visiting. - Adapted from The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Energy Saving Tips for Travelers
10 things you can do to conserve energy when you travel :

1.

Fly Wisely

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Air travel is often the most energy consuming aspect of your travel. Plan your trip so that you minimize air travel, and choose, whenever possible, to stay longer in a destination instead of making many short trips.

2.

Travel Light

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Pack only what you need, and don't bring things that will become waste. By reducing the weight of luggage travelers can significantly cut green house gas emissions.

3.

Book Responsibly

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When choosing your hotel, tour operator, or other service providers, select ones that have good sustainability practices. Look for information on the company's environmental initiatives; strategies, save energy and minimize waste; involvement in sustainable tourism certification program.

4.

Unplug Before You Leave

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Turn off lights and unplug household appliances that can be left unplugged while you are away.

5.

Unplug While You Are There

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Turn off all the lights and air conditioner/heater when you leave your room, and unplug unnecessary appliances.

6.

Choose Greener Ways To Get Around

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Utilize public transportation (bus, train, city car, etc.) and alternative modes of transportation (walking, bicycle, non-motorized vehicles, horse, camel) as much as possible. It's a more sustainable way to get around, and also a healthier and more enjoyable way to get to know the place you are visiting.

7.

Eat Local

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Reduce your 'food miles' by choosing local. Visit a local farmer's market, shop at a locally owned grocery store and choose locally owned restaurants that buy local. Locally produced foods are a tastier and more sustainable option.

8.

Save Water

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Use the minimum amount of water needed for a shower/bath, don't let water run while shaving, brushing or washing, and check if the hotel has a linen reuse program - if so, reuse your towels and bed sheets by placing the card to indicate you don't wish to have them washed every day, if not, request hospitality staff not to change them every day.

9.

Charge Your Trip Sustainably

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Whenever possible, utilize options that do not require batteries. Buy rechargeable batteries for your essential travel items such as cameras, razors, and flash lights.

10.

Offset the Unavoidable Footprint

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Contribute to a credible carbon offsetting program to support conservation, renewable energy, and other energy saving projects.