Ways to Travel More Responsibly as a Family
Family vacations are a great way to bond and make memories that will last a lifetime. But if you’re not careful, they can also be a huge drain on our planet’s precious resources.
Here are some tips on how to travel more responsibly as a family so that you can enjoy your trip while also being mindful about taking care of the planet:
- Choose eco-friendly accommodations.
There are a growing number of hotels and resorts that are certified green or make an effort to reduce their environmental impact. When booking your accommodations, look for properties that have received accolades for their sustainability efforts. There are many resources online on how to locate them. EcoBnB is one place where you can specifically search for sustainable accommodation. They have high standards on sustainability criteria for their hosts on different parameters such as renewable energy, recycling, water usage, and car/free accessibility. Also, the mastodont site AirBnB has a high focus on implementing sustainability practices and claims that 88% of their hosts have incorporated green practices into hosting. - Offset your carbon emissions
One of the biggest ways to make your family vacation more eco-friendly is to offset your carbon emissions from flying. You can do this by purchasing carbon offsets or by choosing airlines that offset their emissions automatically. - Eat locally sourced food
Another way to reduce your environmental impact while traveling is to eat locally sourced food. This means buying food from farmers’ markets or restaurants that use locally grown ingredients. Not only is this better for the environment, but it also supports the local economy. - Avoid single-use plastics
Single-use plastics are one of the biggest threats to our planet, so it’s important to avoid them whenever possible – even on vacation. Bring along reusable water bottles and shopping bags so you don’t have to use disposable ones while you’re away from home. - Bring as little as possible
Extra pounds of luggage can matter a lot to the carbon emissions when transported over long distances by airplane or by other means. Try to pack as little as possible to make sure your luggage is light. Often you can get by with less stuff than you think you need, especially if you use some of our tips for washing a bit of clothes while away. - Educate your kids about responsible travel practices
Last but not least, make sure to educate your kids about responsible travel practices before you go on vacation. Explain why it’s important to take care of the planet and how they can help by doing things like conserving water and picking up litter. By instilling these values in your children at an early age, you can set them up for a lifetime of responsible travel habits. - Support conservation and sustainability organizations
Seek local organizations that do conservation and sustainability work both at home and while traveling and support them however you can by e.g. donating. These can serve as great lessons in sustainability for your kids while you are actually contributing to them. One of our best examples were when we saw how the volunteers helped baby sea turtles hatch and reach the sea in Cape Verde and “adopted” a couple of turtles.
You can find more inspiration for things you can do to live more sustainably whether at home or away.
Final words
Family vacations are a great way to spend time together and create memories that will last a lifetime – but they can also be harmful to the planet if you’re not careful. With a little planning and forethought, however, it is possible to travel more responsibly as a family without sacrificing any of the fun or adventure of vacationing away from home. Keep these tips in mind next time you’re planning a trip, and you’ll be able to enjoy your time away while also doing your part to protect the planet
