Choose your holiday carefully and it can be both eco-friendly and enjoyable
You may love the idea of an eco-friendly holiday, but choosing a genuinely green escape can be complicated. After all, there are so many different things to consider, from deciding how to travel, to researching the eco merits of the tour operator or hotel, and how the food is sourced.
Getting there
Flying justly receives a bad press due to its heavy environmental cost. So what about taking the train? If you’re off to Europe, even the more distant corners, travelling by train could be a viable option – it’s less stressful than flying and can form a fun part of your trip. It also means fewer carbon emissions than flying or driving. If you really have to fly, offset CO² emissions by paying money to an organisation such as Climate Care (www.climatecare.org). The money will be invested in projects supporting energy renewal schemes and reforestation.
Where to stay
Opt for green hotels, guesthouses and homestays. ‘Ask the tour operators and hotels you are considering booking whether they have a responsible tourism policy in place that they’ll share with you,’ says Krissy Roe of Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com). ‘Make sure it explains how they minimise environmental impacts and support the local economy.’ And don’t be duped by every hotel claiming eco credentials. Caroline Sylger Jones (www.carolinesylgerjones.co.uk), author of Body & Soul Escapes books, warns: ‘The “eco-friendly” label is used too easily by hotels, spas and retreats across the globe, which in reality still offer water in plastic bottles, use toxic toiletries in the bathrooms and fill the bedrooms with unnecessary electric gadgets. Most are still using chlorine in their pools and hot tubs, and fossil fuels to heat their water.’
Once you’re there
Thinking and buying local once you arrive is also crucial. According to Responsible Travel, this means hiring local guides where possible, staying in locally run accommodation, eating in local restaurants and trading with local craftspeople. Also remember to use water sparingly, avoid using plastic bags and switch off lights, air-conditioning and electrical appliances in your room. A growing number of tour operators and hotels now reinvest in the community by employing local people and sourcing ethically produced food. Others go further by giving customers the opportunity to participate in Community Based Tourism (CBT) projects, where local residents – often in rural, poor communities – invite tourists to stay and learn about their way of life.
There’s also the option of volunteering with environmental charities such as Earthwatch (www.earthwatch.org); devoting time to working directly with the environment is perhaps the ultimate way to holiday with a conscience.
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Ethical rail and tour operators
For train options, check out www.eurostar.com, www.raileurope.com and popular train advice website www.seat61.com.
Tour operator The Adventure Company (www.adventurecompany.co.uk) uses guides local to the destination, and locally run guesthouses and restaurants. Award-winning Explore (www.explore.co.uk) offsets all flights’ carbon emissions, and proceeds are put towards relevant projects.
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Top 5 excellent eco breaks
1 Chalalán Ecolodge (www.chalalan.com) in the Bolivian Amazon is a Community Based Tourism break. The lodge offers natural and cultural tourism, providing jobs for local people. It operates by solar power, water is purified by filters, and there are special waste systems. Three nights cost £430.
2 Ireland’s Gyreum Eco-Lodge (www.gyreum.com) was the first of its kind to be awarded the EU Eco-label for tourist accommodation. It’s often used for group retreats, and there are double rooms costing £24 per person per night. Eco credentials include glass and sheep’s wool insulation and rainwater capture systems.
3 The Yurt Hotel is tucked away in a rural corner of Andalucia, Spain. There are five Mongolian yurts (www.yurthotel.com), each boasting a spectacular view. The camp’s carbon footprint is admirably low: there are compost toilets and solar panels, and the swimming pool is chlorine free. Food is organic and locally sourced. A double yurt costs £120 per night.
4 Located in the heart of San Francisco is the stylish Orchard Garden Hotel (www.theorchardgardenhotel.com), one of a handful of hotels awarded the LEED certification for environmentally sound buildings. The furniture is made from sustainably grown maple, all cleaning fluids are chemical free, there are recycling bins in the bedrooms, and the restaurant sources locally and organically. Double rooms cost from £130.
5 The Rogner Bad Blumau spa (www.blumau.com) in Austria shines for its ‘life in harmony with nature’ philosophy. Treatments are based on all-natural milk, saffron and honey; water is sourced from the curative spring and self-purifies; electricity and heating come from the same waters, and the entire green-roofed complex operates on green energy. A percentage of guests’ payment is donated to the World Wildlife Fund. Room only is around £147 per person per night.
Words: Lucia Cockroft
One comment
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Shouldn’t we be improving and supporting British holiday resorts – even though they are often 10 times more expensive than abroad in most cases? Ever tried to catch a train to Skegness? ‘Nuff said!
Comment by Karen McDonald on 10 January 2010 at 2:36 pm
