Traveling the Green Way

Have you heard about the Green Passport campaign by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?  The Internet-based campaign provides green travel tips to international tourists.

“By browsing the Green Passport website consumers will be able to find practical tips to help them reduce their environmental and social footprint while they are on vacations,” says Stefanos Fotiou, head of UNEP’s tourism unit.”Tourists will discover that traveling green is not as hard as they imagined.”

Statistics show in 2007 international tourist arrivals reached nearly 900 million and by the end of the decade this number is expected to reach more than one billion.  The UNEP suggests rising tourist numbers will increase their demand for energy, water and natural resources to support their holidays.

Says Fotiou: “There are some encouraging signs in terms of market response to the problem. Tourists are increasingly expressing concern about the quality of the environment at their holiday destinations. However, there is clearly a gap to fill in order to shift from discussions on responsible holidays to concrete actions.”

UNEP Green Passport travel tips address the entire holiday cycle from travel planning and packaging to returning home.  Tips include:

- “Choose responsible service providers.”

- “Reduce the consumption of energy while on the road or in their hotel.”

- “Buy locally made and environmentally friendly souvenirs.”

Image courtesy of UNEP