How to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint While Traveling

At ToursByLocals, we’re obviously big fans of travel. We love how it – literally! – expands our horizons, makes us more culturally aware, and better global citizens. Plus, it’s really, really fun. But, like an increasing number of people around the globe, we’re also aware that travel more often than not comes with a big carbon footprint.

So today, we’re sharing some simple ways you can reduce that carbon footprint, and make your travels more sustainable for the planet.

Five Simple Ways To Travel More Sustainably

1. Reduce the number of flights you takeIf you’re flying, you’re adding a significant amount of planet-warming gases to the atmosphere — there’s no way around it. Reducing the number of flights you take each year is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. This might mean taking an overnight train instead of a plane. It might mean planning to take one big trip for two or three weeks, rather than several short ones. Maybe it means renting a car in central Europe and driving from place to place, instead of taking short haul flights between cities. Flying less, especially short-haul, should be the goal.

2. If you have to fly, be smart about it

Look for direct flights – landing and take off generate an incredible 25% of total flight emissions. Fly economy class – those extra-wide business class seats are comfortably spacious, but mean you’re contributing two or even three times as much to carbon emissions as passengers taking up lses space in coach. Finally, use airlines that offer a carbon-offset program. Airlines like United, Air Canada, Delta, British Airways and many more provide passengers with an easy way to donate to emission-reduction schemes. These projects run the gamut from planting and protecting trees to building wind farms.

3. Spend time exploring your own backyard as a means of reducing your carbon footprintStop and think for a moment about how many people spend their holidays visiting your part of the world. It could be you’ve got a gem in your own state/province or country that you haven’t fully appreciated. Make the decision to sometimes be a tourist closer to home.

4. Leave less garbage behind

Have you ever noticed that you generate more waste in a day when you travel than when you’re at home? When we step away from our kitchens, we tend to use more convenience items, like single-use packaging. By bringing just a few simple reusable items with us, we can reduce the amount of plastic we throw away while on vacation. Like what? A water bottle (a stylish brand like Swell is even a nice accessory to carry around!); a tiny collapsible carry bag is great for shopping in local markets; and you can even consider a small bamboo cutlery set to avoid tossing plastic cutlery after take-out meals.

5. Hire a Local Guide and make a positive impact in your destinationFinally: spend time with a local guide at your destination! Hiring a guide means you’re putting your travel dollars directly into the local economy. And in addition to contributing to your guide’s livelihood, they can take you to independent shops and restaurants, so you avoid spending at chains and impact local businesses in a positive way instead. Traveling with a local guide in a small group of 2, 4 or 6 instead of a busload of 50 also means you can blend in with your surroundings, rather than disrupt the city’s residents by travelling through already busy areas in a pack.