On Sustainable Travel

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”

This is what travel meant in yesteryear. In today’s time travel has become a trend. It is the next “in thing”. Open any social media platform and you will see hundreds of articles on “Ten places you must see before you die”, “Ten ways travel changes you”, “Ten reasons you must quit your job now, to travel” and many more. There are hundreds of travel websites which do their best to sell a destination and give you a feeling that if you haven’t visited a particular place then what in life are you doing? When such is the motivation to travel, it is no surprise that the main purpose of a tourist is to broadcast what all they have ticked off the bucket list created for them by the hundreds of travel articles that show up on their feed throughout the day. Instead of observing the intricacies of an architectural wonder and appreciating it, today’s tourists are busy taking selfies. Even when a really scenic landscape is staring straight into their eyes, today’s tourists are busy bowing their heads to a smartphone. The true essence of travel is lost somewhere. We hear a lot of terms like travel trends, adventure travel and luxury travel. A term that is lost somewhere in today’s travel business is “Sustainable travel“. The term was defined by the international ecotourism society (TIES) as “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people”. We travel to appreciate the beauty of a particular place. Travel is an escape from everyday routine and revitalizes us. Then why do we want to deprive others and our future generations of this beauty? Why are we so unmindful when we travel? When we travel to a particular place it is up to us to not damage the place. Throwing garbage around, creating a ruckus, disturbing the calmness of a place, what good does our travel do? It is important to respect the place you are traveling to. Would you want your children to see a yellow Taj Mahal, raft in dirty river water and go for a safari in a garbage littered forest? It is our duty as travelers to not destroy, but conserve and replenish the places we visit. So how does one travel sustainably? Does it cost more? Not at all!!! In fact, sustainable travel can help you save a few bucks and will definitely help you get a richer experience out of the place you are visiting. Here are a few simple tips to help you embark upon a sustainable travel journey:

• Walk or use public transport whenever possible, save fuel.
• Do not overuse water, energy.
• Pack light.
• Don’t throw garbage on the road, in the forest or in the river water. Throw it in a dustbin or bring it back with you.
• Find Eco – friendly stay options.
• Never use hotel laundry – They wash each customer’s clothes separately, even if they are in small quantity, thereby wasting a lot of water.
• Don’t leave behind – Take any leftover soap, shampoo and toothpaste with you.
• Shop Mindfully – Buy local produce and souvenirs.
• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Use your own bottles and packaging instead of buying new ones every time.
• Go paperless and help save trees.
• Volunteer and help in giving back.

These simple steps can help preserve beautiful places of our earth that we are currently so ruthlessly destroying just for the sake of recreation. So next time you plan your travel, remember, take only pictures and leave only footprints.