Travel expert says you can travel sustainably 'without being taken for a mug'
An eco travel expert has given his top tips to travel sustainably without getting mugged off.
Thomas Power, CEO of Pura Aventura, says people are desperate to lower their carbon footprint and leave a holiday hotpot with no trace, but don't know how to.
A sizeable 59% of Brits recently polled have said they don't know how to travel sustainably, something that is more important now than ever.
The travel industry generates between 8% and 11% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, which need to reduced quickly to limit the damaging effects of global heating.
Thomas has put sustainability at the heart of Pure Aventura's work since it launched in 1999 and began selling specialist tours to Spain and Latin America.
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Thomas Power offered his top tips for travelling sustainably (LinkedIn)He said that a recent survey showing half of Brits would pay more for a greener holiday was significant.
"There are rare, complicated and expensive times," Thomas told The Mirror. "For a material percentage of people to say they'd pay more matters. People don't want to be taken for mugs, they don't want to charge extra for something sustainable, but people are confused."
Thomas has shared four tips for those looking to travel sustainably to help them cut through the confusion.
Go longer
If you have to fly, going for a longer break may make sense (NurPhoto via Getty Images)If you are using a carbon intensive means of transport to get to your destination, such as flying, the longer you can go, the lower the carbon intensity.
"If you have a flight at the beginning and end, the carbon-by-day goes down a lot," Thomas said.
While avoiding flying altogether will almost certainly make your holiday less harmful to the environment, the travel expert noted that carbon consumption was relative.
"The carbon footprint of someone who goes to Spain once year is tiny compared to a frequent flyer," he added.
"I do feel weekend breaks way are very hard to justify nowadays."
Get stuck into the local community
Thomas recommended immersing yourself in the local community (Getty Images)Going long also means you are more likely to get immersed in the local community, which will likely improve your holiday and the destination's economy.
"By week three you're off down some back alley, you explore more," Thomas said. "It's about spreading the love and money a bit. It is more interesting."
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He urged people to shop local whenever they are away and avoid holing up in a holiday home.
"It makes a big difference, as it is about a fair exchange between visitors and hosts, between us and the planet," Thomas said.
"Did to go to the pub, the local shop, or did you just get a big Tesco delivery? The bread tastes better, and in the conversation in the queue at the bakery you might hear that there's a band on, or a place where you can swim down the river.
"Is it reasonable for me to fly tip in the atmosphere to go to somewhere I can't spell because it is cheap on Ryanair?"
Choose your off-setting schemes wisely
He recommended packing light and choosing a good off-setting scheme (Getty Images)Many companies offer off-setting schemes to tempt eco-conscious travellers into flying or staying with them.
Such initiatives often come in for criticism for not being transparent with their results, and for not actually offsetting emissions in any meaningful way.
Thomas recommended people look for schemes with B Corp certification, which is generally recognised as a mark of a good initiative.
"You often hear that 85% of those schemes are rubbish, which is probably true," Thomas said. "What I hear is that 15% have an impact, Our job is to find that 15%. it is very complicated to understand."
Thomas highlighted one scheme Pura Aventura is signed up to, which pays Nicaraguans to grow trees over a ten year period, with the progress of their growth being tracked by satellites.
Pack less
One of the reasons airlines get you to pack less isn't just so you'll pay for a large luggage allowance, but because each kilo added to a plane's weight increases the amount of fuel it must use.
If you take less away with you when flying, you can reduce your personal carbon footprint.
"It makes a big difference if you have a massive suitcase, rather than ten kilos," Thomas said. "How many times have you gone away and worn two t-shirts instead of the ten you packed anyway?"
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