When I decided to write about green travel, I was thinking of highlighting various green destinations. But the more I read about it, the more I realized how broad the topic of green travel is. As far as definitions of green travel, I had no idea there was a distinction between eco-conscious travel, eco-friendly travel, eco-tourism, responsible travel, and green travel. There are so many great topics to chose from that I’ve decided to make this a two part post. This week I’ll be focusing on green travel and eco-tourism:

Green travel can be defined as:

• Thinking about your impact on the environment, both physical and social, when you travel. Understanding local customs is just as important as your physical impact on the environment. The idea is that by being conscious of your impact, it will help you make better decisions from the beginning of your trip.
• Understanding your eco-friendly options. Such as what can and can not be recycled, what local hotels are considered eco-friendly, and where the nearest farmers market is. Also, be aware of the type of souvenirs that you’re purchasing. It doesn’t necessarily help the environment or the local economy if your buying plastic figurines made across the world in a sweat shop.
• Doing your research to be a responsible traveler. Knowing before hand what to expect both culturally and environmentally. Another tip, is to keep a green travel guide on hand.

Eco-tourism can be defined as:

• “Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.” Ecotourism Australia
• A country as a whole may not have high environmental standards, but they can still have eco-tourist destinations. They can include villages in the rainforest that welcome tourists into their homes, organic farms where you can volunteer, or national parks. The focus here is on minimal impact. You probably won’t find large crowds or urban sprawl at a eco-tourist destination.

Another interesting way to categorize green travel is by extremeness. There are those that would hardly go out of there way to make greener travel decisions and the extremists that won’t fly in planes, only eat organic foods, and camp out in their own tents rather than stay in a hotel.

Whether you prefer luxury hotels or camping, what drew me to the topic was the destinations:

Top eco-tourism destinations include Belize, Dubai, Brazil, Kenya, Gabon, Laos, Canada, and Ireland. These destinations were chosen for their biodiversity as well as local commitment to sustainability. They were also ranked by established destinations, destinations making progress, and countries on a watch list.

Those that were considered established eco-tourist destinations included Brazil’s wetlands, Northern Ireland, Belize’s barrier reef (the largest in the Western Hemisphere), and safaris in Kenya through local ranchers (allows them to supplement their income with eco-tourism). Or for those traveling in luxury there is the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa on Dubai’s Desert Conservation Reserve. The resort recycles 100% of its water and has an impressive seed bank of 6,000 indigenous plants.

If your interested in going to the world’s greenest countries, in general Norwegian and Eastern European countries ranked the highest. A recent Yale repost ranked countries based on “an environmental performance index (EPI)–a weighting of carbon and sulfur emissions, water purity and conservation practices.” The top five were Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Costa Rica. If your wondering how the US ranked, we were 39.

There are so many options for green travel, be it your choice of travel, lodgings, or activities. As I mentioned, since this is such a broad topic, I’ll be writing about my favorite eco-friendly destination next time. Feel free to mention yours!

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