Traveling the Green Way

Today’s green tips traveler is Alex Conti from Eco Hotels of the World, a site I recently reviewed.

Here’s how Alex travels green…

I study my destinations in detail and try my best to ensure that I am staying at the greenest hotel in the area. You can easily do this yourself, there are plenty of places to look online and when in doubt you can always ask the owners directly.

 Your next hotel should fulfil most of the following criteria:

• Dependence on the natural environment
• Ecological sustainability
• Proven contribution to conservation
• Provision of environmental training programs
• Incorporation of cultural considerations
• Provision of an economic return to the local community.

Do you have a favourite ‘green place’?

There are some great projects out there; the “Grand Hotels” of the past are steadily being replaced by more efficient, more environmentally friendly places where the owners care deeply for the conservation of the local area partly because they know that their (and our) future depends on it.

Sailing is one of my big things at the moment; I love the sense of respect for the local environment and its resources that it teaches you. When I am staying on land I have several favourite places but one that particularly springs to mind right now is the Levendis Estate in Greece.

What do you recommend for travellers who want to go green?

I love to mention the “6P’s”

Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

This is applicable to all sorts of things, but when it comes to travelling (and particularly travelling responsibly) it really comes into its own. You see the key is doing your homework. At the planning stage you should be asking the right questions:

• Does the hotel I have picked have a responsibility statement?
• Does my Tour Operator think about the environment?
• Am I making sure my money is going to the local community?
• Am I getting there in the most responsible way?

When you have choices to make (like picking a hotel or a mode of transport) just make sure you think a little about the environment too!

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