Over time, there has been a gradual increase in global connectivity. People are curious about different cultures and desire to learn about them. Because it expands your horizons and offers great educational opportunities, traveling is an exciting aspect of life. But how can you travel sustainably? We go deeply into the realm of ecotourism and investigate fresh and creative ways to encourage global travel in honor of World Tourism Day 2025, which has as its topic “Tourism and green investment.”
Eco-tourism: What Is It?
Ecotourism entails environmentally friendly travel. You try to be as environmentally conscious as you can when on vacation, whether it’s home or overseas. By making constructive contributions, ecotourists aim to reduce their carbon footprint and promote regional ecosystems. For instance, individuals may avoid using plastic when traveling or dining at a nearby restaurant. As people attempt to broaden their perspective while remaining ecologically sensitive, ecotourism has become increasingly important.
What Makes Ecotourism Beneficial?
For many communities around the world, tourism is essential. Spending by tourists boosts local economies and supports the growth of small companies. However, the ecology may suffer because of tourism. According to a 2022 study, most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from food and waste management in the tourism industry account for around 8% of global CO2 emissions.
As the effects of global warming become more obvious, ecotourism is becoming increasingly important. Gaining knowledge and improving your relationship with the environment will help you. There are numerous advantages to implementing ecotourism:
Educate yourself: Learning about environmental issues is the biggest advantage of ecotourism. You are more inclined to replicate eco-friendly practices at home if you discover ways to do so while traveling. Reading scientific books and research helps you understand how important it is for the earth to survive.
Preserve resources: Using natural and renewable resources to enhance the health of the world is known as sustainable travel. You’re shielding the environment from the harm that travel causes. Ecotourism is the way to go if you think that you should leave a better place than when you found it.
Support economies: By engaging in ecotourism, you allow other tourists to enjoy a clean environment as well. Spending money at nearby companies is one method. Communities are centered around these stores, which also contribute to the area’s unique character. Supporting these businesses enables them to expand and provide their services to future tourists.
How Can a Vacation Encourage Mindfulness?
Explore Ecotourism Locations
Ecotourism begins before you travel. Conduct as much research as possible to determine which destinations are most suited to ecotourism and how to become an ecotourist in that location. For example, you may search for hotels with biophilic designs. These areas integrate buildings and nature to retain a connection with the environment. The facility may have natural elements such as hardwood, stones, and trees.
Ecotourism entails accounting for your environmental impact, but you should also investigate how the area values green activities. When arranging a trip, look for places that have adopted eco-friendly regulations to encourage ecotourism. For example, hydroelectric electricity accounts for approximately all of Seattle’s energy usage.
Beware of greenwashing.
Talking about environmentally friendly policies is one thing; putting them into action and supporting the environment are the next steps that some firms fail to take. This practice is sometimes referred to as greenwashing. Due diligence can reveal which companies keep their promises and which merely use eco-friendliness as a marketing phrase.
It is critical to be able to identify greenwashing when traveling. Investigate and examine the practices of local hotels and businesses. How do they align with the environmentally friendly objectives they claim? For example, in 2018, Hilton stated that it will minimize CO2 emissions. However, critics accused the corporation of greenwashing after it hacked down palm and mangrove trees to develop its Maldives resort.
Tearing down palm trees has a huge impact on atmospheric carbon levels.
Examining a company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores is one technique to investigate greenwashing allegations against Hilton. These metrics track a company’s activities and provide an objective measure to evaluate procedures. Organizations such as Bloomberg have created databases that contain detailed tables of ESG scores. They track thousands of firms worldwide, making it easy to determine who is telling the truth beyond their ‘green’ marketing.
Being an ecotourist worldwide.
Calls for sustainability are increasing as humans become more aware of their detrimental environmental impact. You can reduce your carbon impact at home, and you should maintain the same cautious attitude when traveling overseas. Be an ecotourist and help the environment wherever you travel.
References:
GOODWINA, H. Taking Responsibility for Tourism. Journal of Responsible Tourism Management, [s. l.], v. 4, n. 2, p. 1–14, 2024. DOI 10.47263/JRTM.04-02-01. Disponível em: https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.tru.ca/linkprocessor/plink?id=de707bef-34de-3f1e-90b9-649978f70c3b. Accessed on February 1st, 2025.
WIELGUS, J. Ecotourism ecology. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, [s. l.], 2022. Disponível em: https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.tru.ca/linkprocessor/plink?id=8240a6d4-ccaa-3cd9-8d60-6e5994ad146a. Accessed: February 1st ,2025.
Great Amanze
Jacinta Mugo shows a well written analysis of why Eco-Tourism Matters but the advertisement doesn’t really show what brand is being advertised. They show how some companies promote sustainability primarily as a marketing strategy, rather than genuinely practicing these acts. The written analysis focuses on the difference between claims and actual environmental impact, which is important for understanding greenwashing and other brands that claim to be environmentally friendly.
Jacinta main points go around the importance of genuine ecological programs, such as reducing waste, protecting local ecosystems, and supporting community-based businesses. They also touch on the need for travellers to be aware of misleading claims of eco-friendly. They emphasize that travellers should engage in research to be aware of a company’s record, and that doing research are important steps to consider if a company truly follows the necessary methods to be eco-friendly. Jacinta stresses that eco-tourism can lead to educational opportunities, cultural exchange and that responsible travel goes beyond mere marketing mottos.
Jacinta’s analysis of eco-tourisms is backed by the scholarly sources added, it gives more credibility to the research. However, they didn’t mention tools for assessing greenwashing to give readers more knowledge on ways to prove eco-claims. Overall, it gave me more understanding on greenwashing.