Sustainable travel popular in post-pandemic world

While a completely sustainable travel experience may not be possible, making small sacrifices such as opting for an eco-stay or relying on public transport can go a long way, say travelers

For many months, thanks to the pandemic, the travel industry had come to a complete halt. As many industries scrambled to find their footing, the tourism sector struggled. But, now, slowly, many have started to pack their bags and explore the world, carefully and cautiously. Much has changed in the way people travel, and not just in terms of the safety protocols.

For many, the past few months have taught them the need to slow down, take stock of their actions on themselves and the world around them. This has trickled down into the way people travel as well. Many around the world are working towards exploring the world in a sustainable manner.

Find a balance

Travel blogger Ankita Kumar says that travel can never be completely sustainable, but one can find a balance. “It is impossible to not leave behind a carbon footprint, but one must be able to minimise the waste that they are leaving behind,” she says. Take fewer flights, for example. She recounts her own travel across Latin America. While she took a flight to reach the region, once she got there she relied on public transport to get around. Carry your own water bottle and portable utensils, which will help reduce single-use plastic waste, she suggests.

However, she believes that the pandemic made people take a step back from the otherwise excellent progress towards sustainable approaches. “We use tonnes of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials to make PPE kits and masks with no infrastructure in place for their responsible disposal,” she explains.

Small sacrifices

Karnataka-based rural tourism company Trippin Traveller works on the principle of responsible tourism, and to this end, curates eco-friendly tours. Eco-stays are an easy and a convenient choice to make, says Smitha Murthy, co-founder.

The travel experience is slightly different from the conventional mass listed tours on big platforms. “Offbeat tours offer authentic experiences. The focus is on getting to know a place and its people better while travelling to non-commercial locations,” she says.

Such tours are usually designed keeping the environment in mind. Providing customers with basics such as clean water and good sanitation facilities, and basic infrastructure, while simultaneously sensitising customers towards making small sacrifices such as foregoing air-conditioning and laundry services which are generally present in high-end hotels and stays, is key.

Overtourism and the degradation of the environment are closely linked. They believe that drawing attention to less-visited places, the stress on popular destinations can be reduced.

Stay in eco-conscious resorts or homestays is also a simple step that travellers can take as many of them focus on supporting local culture and communities.

Sustainable travel, a sham

Leo Saldanha, coordinator, Environment Support Group, says that the idea of sustainable travel is a sham.“People have commodified the idea of travelling. The infrastructure built in order to attract tourists always harms the environment”, he says.

He cites the example of Coorg. Originally an agrarian town, it grew to become a prime tourist destination in the state.

The systematic commodification of the destination resulted in the displacement of many local communities. He also gives the example of artificial lakes being constructed in Manipur’s Moirang. The town is home to the largest freshwater lake in North-East India.

“Bringing up artificial lakes with fake currents and sandy banks to a region that is not familiar with beaches is simply to attract tourists,” he explains. There should be regulatory bodies that ensure pastoral societies and regions are not commercialised to the extend that local communities and indigenous flora and fauna are affected.