5 Key Questions for Booking Eco-Friendly Travel

The sustainable travel movement has gained significant traction in recent years. According to Expedia Group’s Sustainable Travel Study from April 2022, 90% of travelers are seeking sustainable options, and on average, they are willing to spend 38% more to enhance the sustainability of their trips.

It's evident that travelers want to make a positive impact, but ensuring their travels benefit the destinations they explore can be more complex. As the term “sustainability” appears in nearly every travel company’s marketing, distinguishing genuine operators from those merely making claims becomes increasingly difficult.

We consulted various experts in sustainable travel to highlight what travelers should consider when making informed choices—and how to partner with companies that are genuinely committed to sustainable practices.

1. Will your travel spending benefit the local community?

When considering sustainable travel, the pivotal question is: "How can we ensure our money benefits the local community?" Paula Vlamings, chief impact officer of Tourism Cares, emphasizes the importance of this approach. She explains, "When local income is generated, it enables community members to tackle their own challenges, such as water access, education, and food security." Opt for hotels and tour operators that are locally owned, and ensure that guides hail from the area. This not only secures that your tourism spending supports the destination but also empowers locals to shape their tourism experiences, as Vlamings notes. Local guides play a crucial role in preserving traditions and culture. Noteworthy options include:

• I Like Local offers unique, locally curated experiences in 19 different countries throughout Africa and Asia.
• Black Cultural Heritage Tours focuses on highlighting and preserving Black history across the United States.
• Destination Indigenous connects travelers with Indigenous experiences in Canada.
• Visit Natives collaborates with Indigenous communities in Norway and Tanzania to provide authentic experiences.

2. Is the travel company actively working to cut down carbon emissions?

Seek out companies that have a dedicated climate action plan and are genuinely measuring and reducing their carbon footprint, rather than just offsetting emissions, Vlamings advises. More than 700 travel companies have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050; you can find a list of participants on the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency website. The nonprofit Travalyst is also working to gather and disseminate verified sustainability data on a global scale, ensuring transparency.

Travelers can now identify accommodations with verified "travel sustainable" badges on Booking.com, as well as “eco-certified” badges on Google. Additionally, you can assess flight emissions using Google Flights or Skyscanner. Staze enables travelers to book stays in hotels that have net-zero goals. The Wilderness Group labels all its trips with carbon information, ensuring that its low-carbon trips in Scotland do not exceed 20KgCO₂e per traveler. Meanwhile, Byway specializes in 100-percent flight-free multi-stop journeys across Europe.

3. Can the company substantiate its sustainability assertions?

Be cautious of greenwashing, warns Kelley Louise, co-founder of Impact Travel Alliance, an organization dedicated to sustainable travel education and advocacy. She notes, "If a travel company fails to support its claims with concrete details, it’s likely something is amiss." Louise points out that the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria serves as the benchmark for tourism sustainability, alongside GreenStep’s sustainability scorecard. Look for certifications that involve third-party audits, like the B Corps seal of approval. Bookdifferent is a travel booking platform that aligns with the GSTC Criteria and provides sustainability ratings for each listing. Travelers can browse over a million accommodations that prioritize sustainability.

4. Is your wildlife experience ethical and delivering real benefits?

When planning a wildlife adventure, travelers should consider whether the company aids in biodiversity conservation and supports local communities, advises Dr. Anna Spenceley, a sustainability expert and chair of the IUCN’s Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group. For example, when booking a sMytouri in Africa, Spenceley encourages travelers to select wildlife tourism options that are independently certified for sustainability, such as Kenya’s EcoRating Scheme, Botswana’s Ecotourism Certification, or Fair Trade Tourism. By choosing experiences in areas owned and managed by local communities—like the conservancies in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya—travelers help ensure the land is preserved for wildlife rather than converted for agriculture or mining, as tourism revenues provide direct financial support to local land rights holders. Recommended companies include Wilderness, andBeyond, Singita, and Great Plains Conservation. For options outside Africa, consider booking with Natural Habitat Adventures, a conservation travel partner of the World Wildlife Fund.

5. Is choosing a local travel company or accommodation the most sustainable choice, even if it doesn’t advertise itself as such?

Avoid getting hung up on labels. Smaller travel companies and accommodations may lack the resources for formal certifications, yet they often represent the most sustainable travel options. "Many excellent brands are not certified due to the time-consuming and costly nature of the process," says Louise. "We need to broaden our understanding of sustainability. Sustainable travel means making a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and economies." This principle can apply to any travel experience, destination, or budget. "Keep in mind that sustainability is a journey, and there’s always room for improvement," she adds. Impact Travel Alliance aims to make this journey enjoyable and accessible by building a community of conscious travelers through in-person meetups, educational resources, and an upcoming app called the Lounge.