Isn’t Green Tourism Expensive?
It seems to be that when people think about green tourism, the first assumption is that it is an expensive niche way to travel. While this may have been true many years ago when green tourism was a form of tourism which was just beginning to be recognised, it is no longer the case in our current time.
As a matter of fact, green tourism and sustainable travel should be more affordable. For example, if a non-luxury sustainable accommodation generates its own electricity via solar panels, minimises water usage, sources food goods from local producers or grows their own and minimises food waste by composting leftover food items then the accommodation has actually taken many money-saving steps at the same time. These savings can then be passed on to the consumer. This is why green tourism and sustainable travel options should be the more affordable as well as eco friendlier option for travellers.
Examples of how sustainable travel and green tourism is the more affordable option
Transportation
When selecting the more sustainable options for travel, one may also discover that it is the more affordable option as well. For example, train travel is said to generate lower emissions than traditional air travel for long distance travel. For shorter distances, bicycles or bus versus traditional automobiles will also save cash while being more sustainable.
Accommodation
Environmentally friendly accommodation can range from tree tents in the forest to high-end luxury in exotic locations and many options within that spectrum. Without a doubt though, the one attribute all of these accommodations have in common is a goal to be as sustainable as possible, while offering travellers a memorable and enjoyable experience. As mentioned in the example at the beginning of this article, many sustainable accommodations utilise water saving efforts, energy saving efforts, generate own energy via solar and minimise the frequency of linen washes per guest by encouraging guests to forgo daily linen changes. Some establishments go so far as to have water refilling stations and utilise only reusable items in order to eliminate single use plastics as well as reduce waste, to grow their own food for making the meals and to source goods only from small local communities in order to keep profits local.
Enjoying the nature
Simply enjoying the nature is a large part of green tourism. Immersing oneself in lush natural surroundings and just being a part of it, learning about local history and culture as well as discovering flora and fauna which may be new to the traveller are all important aspects of green tourism. Doing no harm to the surrounding natural environment by practicing the habit of “Take only photos, leave only footprints” makes it a sustainable activity. By spending maybe the amount needed for a local ranger guide or any entrance fee to the nature area one can spend the entire day in nature without spending the amount of money one may otherwise spend at large busy tourism places like waterparks or shopping malls or more traditional forms of tourism which generally carry with it a high price.
Contributing to small local communities
By focusing profits into small local communities, these micro entrepreneurs are able to set reasonable pricing themselves for items such as handicrafts, agricultural products, village stays and tour guide services. These prices are generally set concerning the cost of living in the area and any infrastructure improvement projects that may need funding. As the cost of living in small local communities is for the most part much lower than that of larger cities, and there aren’t large tourism corporations setting a price based on shareholder demand, the prices can be much lower.
Green tourism is an affordable and fun way to enjoy travel. If the traveller is on a budget, they may already be making more sustainable travel decisions without even realising it!
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