Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
website
www.greenhotels.com
recommends green-rated member hotels
around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental
requirements. Also consult
www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com
for
more green accommodation ratings.
• At hotels, request that your sheets and towels not be changed daily.
(Many hotels already offer this option.) Turn off the lights and the air
conditioning or heat when you leave your room.
• Use public transport where possible—trains, buses and even taxis are
more energy-efficient forms of transport than driving. Even better is to
walk or cycle; you'll produce zero emissions and stay fit and healthy on
your travels.
• If renting a car is necessary, ask the rental agent for a hybrid or rent the
most fuel-efficient car available. You'll use less gas and save money.
• Eat at locally owned and operated restaurants that use produce grown in
the area. This contributes to the local economy and cuts down on green-
house gas emissions by supporting restaurants that minimize the use of
ingredients transported across long distances.
Chefs Collaborative
(
&
617/
236-5200;
www.chefscollaborative.org) is a Boston-based nonprofit dedi-
cated to promoting “sustainable food service businesses”; its website has
a search function that locates member restaurants. Visit
Sustain Lane
(www.sustainlane.org) to find sustainable eating and drinking choices
around the U.S.; also check out
www.eatwellguide.org
for tips on eating
sustainably in the U.S. and Canada.
9 Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism
is conscientious
travel. It means being careful with the
environments you explore and respecting
the communities you visit. Two overlap-
ping components of sustainable travel are
ecotourism
and
ethical tourism.
The
International Ecotourism Society
(TIES)
defines ecotourism as responsible travel to
natural areas that conserves the environ-
ment and improves the well-being of
local people. TIES suggests that eco-
tourists follow these principles:
• Minimize environmental impact.
• Build environmental and cultural
awareness and respect.
• Provide positive experiences for both
visitors and hosts.
• Provide direct financial benefits for
conservation and for local people.
• Raise sensitivity to host countries'
political, environmental, and social
climates.
• Support international human rights
and labor agreements.
You can find some ecofriendly travel
tips and statistics, as well as touring com-
panies and associations—listed by desti-
nation under “Travel Choice”—at the
TIES
website, www.ecotourism.org. Also
check out
Ecotravel.com
, which lets you
search for sustainable touring companies
in several categories (water-based, land-
based, spiritually oriented, and so on).
