By Chelsea Cunningham
Helping out our planet doesn’t just stop at us using keep cups, reusable straws and tote bags. Thanks to the number of increasing green hotels and sustainable booking sites, next time you go travelling you can take your environmental consciousness with you.
Currently, according to the non-profit initiative, Green Hotel World, the International Hotel industry alone is responsible for 1% of the world’s CO2 emissions (350,000 tones). Historically, most hotels have been reluctant to invest in climate-friendly accommodation. However, ABTA’s Travel Trends Report 2019 shows that over the past five years, the number of travellers taking into account a company’s sustainability credentials has increased from 24 per cent to 45 per cent. Soon it will be easier to be green abroad rather than just at home.
Sustainable accommodation is far more than just choosing a green hotel, it’s based on the choices we make, the cars we rent, the airlines we fly and even the countries we visit. Even hanging up your towels when staying in a hotel (indication you don’t want them replaced), saves millions of litres of hot water every year. Through making simpler choices you can lessen your impact.
Below we’ve listed five websites that provide flights, accommodation and experiences that have the lowest footprint and best impact on our planet.
1. Bookdifferent.com
Created in Netherlands in 2012, Bookdifferent assesses each hotel’s green criteria, their staygreencheck facts and data. They take into account the management of the hotel if it’s fair and local if it’s culture friendly, and the impact it has on nature and the environment. When navigating through the website, you’ll see a symbol made up of four ‘hearts’ next to each accommodation listing. These hearts represent staygreencheck criteria, the more green ‘hearts’ indicate the most sustainable hotels.
2. Green Pearls
Green Pearls is a platform that recommends sustainable hotels, restaurants and destinations around the world. They believe that protecting nature, social and cultural engagement is the key to preserving the world for future generations- we couldn’t agree more. To become a part of Green Pearls’ exclusive community, hotels must fulfil sustainable initiatives and green projects without compromising on service, comfort, and quality. This booking platform essentially provides a service for the conscious traveller who seeks a place where sustainability and comfort are combined. It has never been easier to make the greenest choice.
3. Glooby
Glooby is a travel search engine that helps you find the most sustainable flights and hotels for your next trip. For those who would like to play an active role in the battle against carbon emissions and be inspired by sustainable tourism, this is the perfect starting point for you. Let’s be honest, not many of us can spend time weighing up the negatives of carbon emissions on our next trip. Glooby lists flights with the least amount of emissions in its search results and allows you to choose the greenest, cheapest and fastest option.
4. Responsible Travel
Since 2001, Responsible Travel has created a series of memorable holidays that causes the least amount of damage to people and places. With over 6000 eco-friendly trips and 400-holiday destinations available, Responsible Travel gives 1% of their sales to their Trip for a Trip scheme. At no extra cost, you can choose to send a disadvantaged child or young person on an inspiring day trip. We can’t wait to explore the world where the local community and wildlife benefit too.
5. EcoBnb
EcoBnb is the meeting point between the responsible traveller and eco-friendly accommodation. By booking through EcoBnb, the company saves up to 8kg C02, 295 trees, 302 litres of water every day. These numbers have already inspired us to book for our next trip. On their website, you can find sustainable accommodation from bio hotels, tree houses, mountain retreats, to castles and much more. EcoBnb also encourages you to stay where there’s organic food, environmentally friendly routes, green travelling and the rediscovery of nearby and authentic places.
Would you consider paying a little bit more to book somewhere that is better for our planet and ourselves?
Chelsea is extremely passionate about reporting on all things beauty, wellbeing and the environment. After completing a Bachelor degree in Business and Media and Communications, Chelsea is focused on becoming a freelance writer and collaborating with like-minded individuals on projects. If you're interested in working together, contact her via: chelsea-j-c@hotmail.com or Instagram @chelseacunningham