We all know well how much Covid-19 took away from us: our loved ones, health, money, job, and freedom. Especially our freedom to travel and find out new places in the world. Hopefully, 2021 would be the year of re-taking our freedom back. This is the reason why, whenever it will be possible again, our future travels must be environment-friendly and conscious towards our Planet.
In 2020, we all have had a shifting perspective, and cancelling travel plans was the least of our priorities. However, vacations are an activity to look forward to for a multitude of reasons and having to cancel them is never fun. For some of us, travelling is how we connect with our friends and with the world around us.
2021 is upon us and it is the time that most of us are sitting back and wondering when we can travel again. Not only when we can travel, but also how we can travel in an ethical and sustainably-minded way. Keeping this in mind, here is a list of eco-friendly and sustainable travel trends for ethically minded travellers among us. These are trends to keep an eye on during your 2021 travel planning and beyond.
#1 Slow Travel and Live Like a Local
The biggest travel trend in 2021 is slow travel. This way of travelling helps to avoid the carbon footprint impact. Then, how about approaching a slow tourism lifestyle? You can subsequently spend weeks getting to know the area like a local.
#2 “Rewilding,” and Regenerative travel
Regenerative travel is the new trend, which encourages travellers to preserve, improve, and lift up the areas they go on holiday. For instance, Greta Thunberg played a great role as an influencer for the new generation of travellers when she took a trip to New York via sailboat to avoid adding carbon into an already overloaded atmosphere.
#3 From Farm to Fork Menu
In 2020, the restaurant industry realized just how sustainable it was not. Therefore, fermented foods, locally canned goods, in-season produce, and farm-to-table style dining are good for the planet. The fewer miles your food travels to get to you, the better off we all are. Ethical and environmentally focused travellers should request local food and sustainability-minded menus – which do not contribute to deforestation.
#4 Say Yes to Trains
Planes are among the most polluting means of transport, together with cars. According to the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) carbon calculator, round-trip flight in economy from New York to Los Angeles produces an estimated 0.62 tons of CO2 per passenger. One long flight releases the equivalent of nearly 14 per cent of the annual emissions from a car. The same route, when driven, will result in the release of 1.26 tons of carbon emissions. (Those calculations are based on the EPA’s estimated release of 411 grams of CO2 per mile from an average passenger vehicle getting 21.6 miles per gallon). Then, consider travelling by train, it will be healthier for the Planet for sure!
