When you consider all of the current global sustainable tourism issues, it certainly seems like a monstrous task for any traveler to take on to help. That said, if we all take small steps to lessen our personal footprints, we will ultimately make a difference. Recently, I connected with Sustainable Travel International, to find out what travelers can be doing to be more sustainable. They believe that “travel and tourism can protect the world’s natural and cultural riches and create economic opportunity,” and they create tools to enable self-directed sustainability for the travel and tourism industry.

One thing to note is that sustainable travel tips vary heavily by destination. In order to be a green traveler, the most important tip is to do your research. Making informed travel decisions can make a huge difference, travelers just need to know what they should be aware of before planning a trip and going to a destination.

Here are several practical and easy tips from Sustainable Travel International that are marked under six categories. These can all be used as a starting point towards being green. We usually only think about the environment when it comes to sustainability, but it also includes your impact on people, animals, and cultures.

1. Minimize Waste And Pollution 

Travelers continue to overuse the earth’s resources that we depend on, creating excess waste and pollution. Small islands and developing destinations lack sufficient waste management infrastructure and are also highly vulnerable to climate change. Travelers can take small actions such as avoiding the use of disposable plastic products. More specifically, you can bring reusable water bottles and refuse plastic shopping bags and straws. Also, it’s important to do your research to know how to properly recycle and dispose of waste, you can always ask the locals when you arrive to make sure you know how it works. While it may not always be an option, try to use public transportation, or explore destinations by foot or bicycle. If you need to use a car, try to rent a biodiesel, hybrid-electric, or fuel-efficient model. While travelers sometimes can’t avoid flights to get to a destination, they can consider choosing the most direct route and packing their bags as lightly as possible. Considering the majority of carbon emissions caused by tourism are due to air travel, you could also consider which airlines you fly with and what they are doing to help. Some airlines, such as United Airlines, has a program to use cleaner fuels and take measures to reduce fuel consumption – such as using newer planes.

2. Conserve Natural Environments

Travelers have a huge opportunity to protect our planet’s natural surroundings and resources.  To better understand how to help, do your research and stay on top of knowing what issues are affecting the environments you are visiting. Overall, tourists tend to consume far more than locals and many destinations struggle with limited natural resources. For instance, any travelers heading to Cape Town, South Africa, should already know about the water crisis and be careful with their water use. Also, Sustainable Travel International recommends that you visit protected areas as the fees you pay to use them support local efforts to conserve them. Rules and regulations in these areas are there to protect the environment, wildlife, local communities, and you. If you hire a local guide, you’ll not only learn about the local environment, but you will also provide incentive to local communities to invest in environmental conservation. If you do not hire a guide and venture on your own, make sure you “leave nothing but footprints” as you explore, be mindful of your surroundings and of course, don’t litter. Make sure any business you spend your money on is eco-friendly and supports conservation efforts. Research is key here as a lot of businesses claim they are green, but may not necessarily be taking realistic actions to help.

3. Support Local People

Travelers should be mindful of where they’re spending their money and ensure that it goes to locals and benefits the local community. Unfortunately, tourism can contribute to economic leakage and human rights violations. Therefore, travelers should make sure to support businesses that employ locals, you can do this by eating locally and dining in restaurants that use local ingredients. Or, visit a local market – a great way to get to know locals and enjoy a foodcation. You should also buy locally, you can purchase souvenirs from local artisans as it will encourage the preservation of their cultural heritage. Most importantly, treat locals with respect. If you book an adventure and need to cancel last minute, it could throw off their entire day’s earnings. Also, if you’re a photographer, be respectful of snapping photos of locals without their permission, always ask first.

4. Respect and Preserve Culture

Traveling offers an amazing opportunity to learn about and celebrate other cultures. Of course, travelers play an important role in preserving these cultures. Therefore, it’s important to respect and celebrate traditions, and be aware of cultural norms that could touch on dress code, language, food etiquette, and general behavior. Many gestures have different meanings in different cultures, be sure to learn from locals on what’s appropriate before visiting religious and cultural sites. Be mindful when visiting heritage sites and do not touch artifacts, go during off-peak hours to offset any strain on over-tourism and potential lack of infrastructure.

5. Prioritize Animal Welfare

Many travelers are animal lovers, but they may lack awareness on tourist activities that actually harm the animals they care about. Prioritizing animal welfare can mean a lot of different things. Firstly, it’s important to choose ethical experiences and do your research to know what tours and attractions cause suffering to animals or allow travelers to interact with animals in abusive ways. Sustainable Travel International recommends you steer clear of common culprits such as elephant rides, lion petting, tiger selfies, and dancing monkeys. You should also make sure to only visit attractions that do not capture animals from the wild and provide adequate living conditions. While traveling, be aware of what you’re eating as well, and make sure you’re aware of what species are endangered or threatened. If you’re spending time in the water, make sure you wear reef-safe sunscreen as many chemicals in sunscreens can cause coral bleaching. You should also make sure to not touch, disturb, or feed any wildlife as this can alter their natural behavior and effect their ability to survive. Lastly, when shopping, make sure you’re not purchasing souvenirs that are made from animals (turtle shells, ivory, coral products, etc).

6. Give Back

If you’re looking to give back, make sure your contribution is in fact making a positive difference. Firstly, as mentioned within all of these tips, make sure you do your research on any volunteer experiences to ensure they are ethical. Besides joining volunteer groups such as cleanup events, you can donate supplies. To browse destination-specific supply lists, visit Pack For A Purpose, and bring items that have been specifically requested by local organizations. You can also support local nonprofits to fund the specific destination you’re going to, or support global nonprofits such as Sustainable Travel International, that help on a global scale and focuses on using tourism to advance conservation and combat human welfare issues.

Of course, this is just a short list of everything we could be doing. If travelers are mindful of their impact and take the above into consideration when they travel, it will make a huge collective difference.