Travelers can be environmentally conscious when going on vacation, and it doesn’t take much effort or time. Little things add up, and if everyone followed these sustainable travel tips, communities and the planet would benefit in amazing ways.
10 Easy & Simple Sustainable Travel Tips
- Re-use your hotel towels and sheets; don’t ask for new ones every day (you don’t at home!).
- Turn off the lights and air conditioner when leaving your hotel room.
- Don’t leave the sink tap or shower running water unnecessarily.
- Recycle trash whenever possible.
- Be respectful of nature by staying on trails when hiking; you will preserve the local plant life for others to appreciate.
- Respect native wildlife by observing animals quietly and taking photos, but not trying to touch, harass or scare them. Don’t feed wild animals; human food is not what they naturally eat.
- Don’t touch coral when snorkeling; it can cause irreparable damage to this living organism. Don’t take seashells either; if everyone took shells, there would be none left on the beaches.
- Be sensitive to when and where you take photos or videos of people. Always ask first; you would want the same respect.
- Buy local when shopping for souvenirs and interact with people of the region; you will have a much more culturally-rich vacation. You can even learn a few words of the local language and use them; your efforts will be appreciated.
- Only stay in eco-friendly hotels and lodges dedicated to sustainable tourism.
Eco-friendly travel in Costa Rica
For many travelers nowadays, eco-friendly travel is a priority and so is staying at sustainable tourism hotels – defined by Sustainabletrip.org as businesses “that are profitable while conserving natural resources and benefitting local communities”.
Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, in the southern Costa Rica rainforest on the Pacific Coast gulf of Golfo Dulce by the Osa Peninsula, is one of the first sustainable tourism eco-lodges in Costa Rica. Celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge holds the highest rating in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST) by the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT). The Costa Rica eco-lodge protects 95 percent of their 165-acre rainforest property in an undeveloped and natural state.
Playa Nicuesa recently received the important Ecological Blue Flag Award for the fifth time for having one of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches. The gulf of Golfo Dulce is one of the most pristine ocean ecosystems in Costa Rica. It is a critical habitat for endangered Pacific humpback whales, which migrate here every August to October to breed and give birth to their young, and is also an important home for dolphins and sharks.
When you stay at eco-friendly Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica, you can reduce the ecological impact of your trip by offseting your carbon emissions.
Your travel choices make a difference. Choose environmentally-responsible hotels and lodges for your next vacation.
Article by Shannon Farley
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