Your Guide To Sustainable Travel

You can play a huge part in safeguarding the places you visit for future generations by following the tips below before and during your trip:

Be well prepared

• Find out about your holiday destination through guides, websites travel reports.
• Prepare yourself mentally for new experiences, so you can embrace these with as much openness and curiosity as possible.
• Plan your travel to give yourself time: less is often more!
• Arrange your insurance, vaccinations and money matters in good time, and find out about any safety and security precautions, so that you can really have an enjoyable and carefree time.

Be respectful in encounters with your host country

• Behave as a guest the way you would expect visitors to your country to behave.
• Enjoy an open exchange with people from different cultures, and use all your senses and all your curiosity to discover new worlds.
• Respect the cultural variety and the local dress customs in your host country.
• Ask before taking photos, and show particular consideration when attending religious ceremonies or visiting religious sites.
• If you suspect a case of sexual exploitation, don’t just ignore it. Our information flyer about child protection tells you what you should do in a situation of this kind

Care for the environment

• Try and observe the local animals in their natural environment, and avoid going to dolphinariums or shows with wild animals.
• When snorkelling or diving, take care not to touch any coral.
• Don’t take any shells, corals, stones or plants home with you.

• If you can, choose a hotel that has earned the Travelife Gold, Silver or Bronze award for its social and environmental standards.
• Help to save water, e.g. by using your towels and bed linen for several days.
• Reduce your own energy consumption, e.g. by switching off lights, the TV and the air-conditioning when you don’t need them.
• Only leave your footprints behind: properly dispose of all your waste.
• If you take excursions, choose the ones that don’t put unnecessary strain on the local people and environment.
• Offset the CO₂ emissions caused by your air travel.
• Travel “slowly”; and if you’re not going far, take the train.

Promote tourism’s positive economic effects

•  When buying souvenirs pay special attention to what they are made of and where they come from, and buy from local craftspeople whenever you can.

• Seek out genuine local food in local restaurants, especially regional and seasonal specialities.
• Ask what the local customs are about tipping, and give adequate tip for good service.
• Avoid giving money directly to child beggars. If you want to support the local people, do so by making a donation to an appropriate charity.