dly travel. With air travel being the biggest contributor, many are opting to travel closer to home -- one of the biggest things you can do to lessen your travel footprint. But if you have to fly, book with an airline that allows you to purchase additional carbon offsets like Delta, Air New Zealand, Air Canada, JetBlue, Qantas and Cathay Pacific.
And once you land, choose an eco-friendly hotel. A few are doing it more successfully than others -- high up in the Chilean desert, Tierra Atacama is South America’s first 100 percent solar-powered hotel. All of Tierra Hotels’ properties, including Patagonia and Chiloé, focus on preserving local plants and culture with local artists, workers and tours.
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On the opposite side of the world in the Maldives, resorts see sustainability as a stark necessity. This sea-level group of islands is on the front lines of feeling the effects of climate change. Soneva and Gili Lankanfushi are two of the more sustainable resorts there, working to be 100 percent waste and plastic-free with their own recycling plants and sustainable farms on the island. Kudadoo Maldives Private Island is the only 100 percent solar-powered resort in the atolls.
Just off the coast of Singapore, Bawah Reserve is an all-inclusive paradise working to protect the beautiful environment it inhabits. It was built with a “minimal impact” approach, only clearing what was necessary and using bamboo and stone found on the island for building materials. All wastewater is pumped to treatment areas, and all solid waste is sorted and recycled.
There are dozens of ways to limit our impact on the environments we choose to travel to. These brands are just a handful who are kickstarting the move to travel smarter and more efficiently. If cruising is your thing, put your money towards companies actively working to change the industry for the better. So you can book that next trip feeling less guilty and helping to save the planet at the same time.