What is Sustainable Travel and Why is it Important?

As travel erupts following the gradual emergence from a global pandemic, problems of travel restrictions are being replaced with concerns about travel sustainability. Why is sustainable travel so important? Let’s explore the reasons why sustainable travel is critical from an environmental, cultural, and psychological perspective.

First, we will need to define sustainable travel. It has come to be used in a lot of different (often inaccurate) ways. Also, we will consider that it is not only a travel and environmental issue, but a psychological issue worth exploring. We’ll consider the urgency of eco-friendly tourism efforts, as well as future directions for sustainable travel. Plus, you will find additional travel sustainability resources.

What is Sustainable Travel?

What is sustainable travel? Sustainable travel refers to efforts to engage in eco-friendly travel behaviors in support of limiting the negative impacts of travel and tourism on the natural environment and local communities. One of the primary goals of sustainable travel is to help conserve the amount and quality of natural resources, preserve cultures, and protect destinations for future generations of travelers.

Travel & the Environment

As the term “sustainable” implies, our ability to continue traveling is contingent on having enough physical resources for travel. Basically, if we keep borrowing from the bank indefinitely, eventually we will look into the vault to find that there’s nothing left. Further, when important elements of travel destinations are destroyed through over-tourism, local cultures and biodiversity can become extinct.

While issues of climate change are too broad for the purposes of this article (not to mention politically divisive!), recent efforts and debates underscore the growing interest in understanding human-environment interactions.

The term “carbon footprint” is a related term. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused or generated by an entity. It’s a quick way of estimating the potential environmental impact that we each contribute. Many individuals and companies are striving to reduce their carbon footprint in support of environmental health.

Travel & Culture

Sustainable travel also speaks to the importance of preserving cultural identities and communities. Hosting a sustained influx of tourists can overwhelm the local population. Traditional local practices may go out the window in favor of tourist-first policies. Sometimes visitors love the destination so much they actually decide to move there in large numbers.

A potential negative result of this is that the native culture can be diffused over time. That’s not to say that new residents can never mesh or bring helpful cultural features of their own. However, the fear is that longstanding aspects of traditional cultures may be inadvertently disturbed during such a process.

In addition, there are psychological components of travel sustainability. Our choices and behaviors are guided by a common philosophy of balance between personal and environmental wellness. Continue reading below, and also check out this previous post on the mental health benefits of travel.

The Psychology of Sustainable Travel

When does sustainable travel transform from an area of interest into a deep commitment to engage in those practices? How do we shift from accepting ideas about what optimal travel behaviors might look like into putting them into action? What makes one person so avid in their pursuit of sustainable travel practices while others regard sustainable travel efforts as unnecessary?

In part, the answer to these questions goes back to how you determine where is the line between personal wellness and environmental wellness. The exact composition of that essential balance is where you will hear a lot of debate.

“Our choices and behaviors are guided by a common philosophy of balance between personal and environmental wellness.”

-Psychology of Travel

Consider it like a spectrum. Convictions range substantially. For example, some believe that ALL travel is completely detrimental. Other demonstrate a complete disregard for even the possibility of over-consumption problems.

Accordingly, you may encounter people with very strong ideals about eco-travel. An unfortunate result is that sometimes discussions about travel sustainability erodes into ideologic insults and name-calling. My suggestion would be to help inform and encourage others through facts rather than appeals toward emotion or name-calling.

Why the fierce opinions on all sides of the issue? Put simply, it is because people perceive it as important and because it impacts people. We tend to get riled up about issues we’re passionate about. This is especially true when making attempts to help others or the environment. The topics that we consider irrelevant are less likely to drive such strong opinions or actions.

How Do People Make Decisions about their Travel Behaviors?

So from a psychological standpoint, how do people craft their own views about appropriate travel behaviors? They have to:

• a) understand core information about the issue
• b) have the ability to consider how the information applies to their own thoughts and behaviors
• c) rationally consider benefits and challenges of a behavior change
• d) have the ability to enact any behavior changes

An additional component of the psychology of travel sustainability is that, well, it makes us feel good! Like the feeling we get after lending a hand to a neighbor, we experience emotional positivity when we view ourselves as helping an important cause.

Hence, you wanna feel good? Understand the information, consider how it applies to you, consider the pro’s and con’s of sustainable travel actions, and enact the feasible ones you choose.

Why the Urgency for Sustainable Travel?

You may be thinking, “I have plenty of destination options right now, and I’m just one person. Does my traveling really matter in the grand scheme of things?” So why all the urgency for sustainable travel? Is it just a Millennial kind of social issue?

Proponents of sustainable travel highlight that the urgency to take conservation efforts is not only to benefit the current generation of travelers, but future travelers as well. Travel sustainability is a current investment in the world. Ultimately, the degree of our investment impacts the advantages or challenges that will be carried by future generations of travelers.

“Travel sustainability is a current investment in the world. Ultimately, the degree of our investment impacts the advantages or challenges that will be carried by future generations of travelers.”

-Psychology of Travel

Sustainability across all sectors of public consumption has become an increasingly recognized concern over the past several years. So, it’s not just travel that contributes to carbon footprints.

The collective damage potential of overpopulated areas combined with over-tourism can deplete tangible resources like food, water, and natural fuels. We take examples from history to see that these issues can similarly degrade less tangible resources like traditional cultures, community cohesiveness, and interpersonal skills.

Where is the balance between healthy travel pursuits and trampling on weary destinations and communities? When will over-traveling get to the point that it is no longer sustainable? Some would argue that this is already happening.

What if There Was No Travel?

No discussion of travel sustainability would be complete without consideration of what happens if travel becomes (or remains, depending on your definition) unsustainable. What would the world be like without travel?

In some ways, we got a glimpse of such a world without travel during the global pandemic. Any quick check on TikTok revealed a constant stream of personal stories about missing travel, frustrations with being unable to travel, and eager anticipation of the day we could all travel once again.

Rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among Western populations increased significantly during the years of the pandemic. Of course, this was due to factors besides lack of travel as well. International stressors plus lack of ability to engage in leisure relaxation is a tough combo. Importantly, the critical joys of travel were absent including development of cultural sensitivity and travel-related stress reduction.

With travel sustainability in mind, the possibility of restricted travel opportunities and valuable destinations being closed permanently for tourism remains a chilling possibility.

Sustainable Travel Tips

If there was only one piece of advice to share about travel sustainability, it’s that people have to be aware of the need for sustainable travel before they will take any personal actions in support. So, the best thing you can do to get started is to become more informed. By reading this, you’re already taking steps to bolster your knowledge about these issues. Once you become aware of the issues and the REASONS for making any changes in your travel behaviors, you can then consider how to apply that information for yourself.

Find Sustainable Companies and Products

Certain hotels, transportation providers, restaurants, and other supportive travel sectors highlight their efforts towards climate-friendly practices. Some aim to be the slightly more ambitious “climate neutral”.

Look for information on their respective websites about company mission statements and values. This will clue you in to companies that feature sustainable efforts, and consider booking with them. Some nice business examples of this are the MELIÁ Hotels International and the Six Senses hotel brands, who clearly outline their efforts to promote caring for local populations and sustainable operations. Certain reputable organizations like EarthCheck can even provide certification those corporate efforts.

When packing, look for recyclable forms of baggage and reusable items. Even brand-name baggage producers like Vera Bradley make 100% recycled rolling duffle luggage.

There is also a huge range of travel products catered to eco-friendly travelers. From climate friendly travel shampoo to toothpaste tablets in a reusable tin, you have a bevy of options at your disposal (make that, at your recyclable). Overall, the saying “less is more” applies to the sheer amount of items you choose to bring along with you. Consider that all of that travel laundry will eventually make its way to the water guzzling washing machine.

Read books on this topic. There are some that are more helpful than others, including Sustainable Travel: The essential to positive impact adventures by Holly Tupen. For a more academic deep-dive into the topic, consider the Handbook of Sustainable Travel.

Other Practical Tips

Get connected with sustainable travel programs and organizations. They will often offer group packages for eco-friendly travelers along with ways of giving back to the local communities. This is a refreshing take on travel where resources are generated and left in the native community rather than taking from it to bring souvenirs back home.

Other ways to proactively get into sustainable travel practices include:

• Ride a bike for the local tour rather than automobile service.
• Walk.
• Plan routes ahead of time to minimize idle fuel consumption.
• Use climate-friendly fuels, when available.
• Check the menu for sustainably sourced food options.
• Resist the temptation to take that unopened plastic shampoo bottle from the hotel when you depart.
• Volunteer to help build a community.
• Absorb the local culture, finding appreciation for the inherent uniqueness of the people.
• Clean up after yourself.
• Use eco-friendly products

What’s Next for Travel Sustainability?

There’s hope on the horizon. Negative impacts of over-tourism are becoming increasingly denounced. For example, many local governments in tourist destinations are taking new proactive stances against over-tourism. However, it’s not a simple problem. It can be challenging to hold to sustainable travel policies when the communities there rely on the travel industry for their livelihood and financing for civic projects.

Interestingly, various destinations reported pleasant benefits of reduced tourism during the pandemic. These perks included opportunities for locals to re-engage with the natural wonders they had been avoiding due to crowding. It allowed for reclamation and cleanup efforts in high traffic tourist areas. Plus, the psychological toll of constant hosting got a much needed refreshment.

Also, volunteerism for eco-friendly conservation efforts picked up steeply over the past several years with increased focus on problems with over-tourism. Grassroots local, national, and international organizations started including specific policies related to sustainable travel efforts. Social discussions have sprouted everywhere from urban America to rural Africa.

Technology and Travel Sustainability

Technology will play a key role in the next stages eco-friendly travel. It may take revolutionary changes to meet net-zero footprints across all sectors of travel and transportation. In the meantime, we’re already seeing a cultural emphasis on technology-inspired green transportation. Recycling and creative re-use of products generated new interest we never could have achieved with prior production technologies.

Advances in technology plus mixtures of personal and corporate reductions in over-consumption equals progress for travel sustainability. Besides direct technological reduction in carbon emissions, technology also holds the incredible capacity for information distribution. Social media influencers, blogs, and commercial campaigns spread ideals as well as ever before in human history.

The present hope is that the next generation of media format will serve to further amplify sustainable travel efforts.

Sustainable Travel Resources

Check out these great resources to get informed and take action in support of travel sustainability.

• Global Sustainable Tourism Council; providing certifications and setting global standards for tourism sustainability
• Sustainable Travel International; organization dedicated to healthier environments and social justice in the travel community
• As described in a previous post, remember to pace your travels, otherwise you risk travel burnout on top of an enlarged carbon footprints.
• Boutique consulting firm Sustaining Tourism
• United Nations agency World Tourism Organization; includes an area of focus around sustainable development
• The Center for Responsible Travel; organization that highlights stewardship for biodiversity and cultural heritage
• Some online markets have a huge range of SUSTAINABLE products for purchase and use.

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What sustainable travel tips do you want to share? Comment below with more sustainable travel tips for your fellow travelers. Plus, remember to sign up for the free Psychology of Travel Newsletter for all the latest updates and winners.

Also, we now have an ebook available, check out the Psychology of Travel ebook here!

Happy Travels,

Dr. L
Founder, PsychologyOfTravel.com

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