How beautiful it is to travel, right? And who doesn't enjoy those vacation days that we long for, where we carefully plan everything we want to do, where our imagination gives free rein like children to endless ideas of what those fantastic days will be like.

Now imagine that it becomes more and more difficult to find an idyllic place to spend our vacations, that the beach or mountain that you dreamed of visiting has to be closed or worse still, simply not even the shadow of what you imagined or what you saw in those spectacular photos on the internet.

Well, the previous scenario is not taken from some dystopian movie, it is the reality that little or little increases and is lived in many tourist locations around the world.

As we well know, all large industries have represented important benefits and advances for society in many aspects, but at the same time they have endangered the environment and the life of thousands of species on the planet.

 

It's time we avoid encountering this panorama in large natural landscapes / Photo: Aryfahmed

 

Tourism and the environment

The tourism industry has not been the exception, millions of tourists are mobilized throughout the year, by means of transport that uses fossil fuels and generates a negative impact on the conservation of the environment.

Likewise, the arrival of thousands of tourists each year often unintentionally threatens the survival of ecosystems and communities around the world, altering the order of existing biodiversity.

Our intention is not to propose that you stay at home and not go out to discover the natural or man-made wonders that this world gives us, our only intention is to help raise awareness about the big problem that exists worldwide with respect to to the preservation of the environment and from our place contribute everything we can, to help be part of the solution.

That is why we want to share with you some possible guidelines that you could consider or take into account when planning your next vacation and being more environmentally friendly. It does not matter if you decide to do ecotourism and enter an untamed and natural landscape or if you choose to spend your days in a cosmopolitan city surrounded by architectural wonders, the important thing here is that you manage certain practices, that do not make your visit to that place so significant more than the photos and the beautiful memories that will remain with you.

 

 

As an active consumer, being an eco-traveler is part of our responsibility, plus it's not hard! / Photo: Kate_Koreneva

 

What can we do to make our trips more environmentally friendly?

The first thing we could recommend on your next trip is that in addition to making a list of those places you can't miss, you should also find out how committed the country, town or region you want to visit is to the environment preservation.

  • If you go to a park that is considered a national or world heritage site, find out what the local government is doing to preserve it, and how committed the government agencies are to protecting that place. An example of this is in Argentina, where one of the most visited and demanded activities by tourists is the sighting of animals in Puerto Madryn, such as whales, penguins and sea lions among others, where tourist activities are designed based on to government guidelines that seek to protect the habitat of fauna and preserve natural beauty.

 

  • It is well known that plastic is one of the main enemies of the environment, and the message of "do not throw waste on the streets, beaches or anywhere other than the bin" is also somewhat hackneyed, however, despite the thousands of awareness campaigns on this issue, the kilos of plastic and other waste of any other material that are still being thrown every year on beaches, mountains, forests, among other natural spaces, are impressive. For this reason, we invite you to recycle!

 

  • Avoid frequently consuming products that come in plastic containers, such as water bottles, wherever you go take a single bottle with you and seek to recharge in any restaurant or cafe, it is a simple action with a great impact on the environment.

 

Plastic directly affects our seas, let's protect wildlife from mass consumption, recycle! / Photo: ShortnStocky

 

  • It is difficult to tell you not to buy products that come in plastic, glass or any other polluting material, but if you have to, avoid throwing them away as any other waste. Find out if the place where you are staying has a recycling or waste management policy. It may take you some time, but we think it will take longer for the planet to recover from environmental damage.

 

  • Another action you could do to contribute to environmental care on your trips is to use more environmentally friendly ways of getting around, for example you can take walks to reach certain destinations and a perfect place for this is the city of Buenos Aires, which is ideal to get to know it by walking or you can also take a bike tour to explore it. 

 

  • Without a doubt, when we go on a trip, we want to buy and put the place we visit in our suitcase and take it back with us, and a classic of any trip is shopping, whether it be souvenirs, local crafts and even clothing, but it is important that when you do it you are really supporting small local producers and that what you are buying is not detrimental to the environment, for example, souvenirs made of elements that are in danger of extinction, such as corals, bushes, plants among others.

 

Nowadays ecological tours are an excellent option to get to know destinations: biking, hiking, day tours, which one do you choose? / Photo: Johnce

 

There are many actions that we can do to help conserve the environment during our trips, and one of them is to inform ourselves about this topic.

If you want to know more activities and ecological tours, we invite you to visit our website daytours4u.com where you will find various options of magical experiences that are friendly and respectful of the environment.

By: Natasha Ferere, Business Developer and Creative Writer at Daytours4u.com