With over 900 million tourists traveling the globe each year, the environmental impact of vacationing on local ecosystems, water, air, and wildlife can be significant. It is a good sign that many are taking “eco-factors” into consideration.

With over 900 million tourists traveling the globe each year, the environmental impact of vacationing on local ecosystems, water, air, and wildlife can be significant. It is a good sign that many are taking “eco-factors” into consideration.

Whether it be for business or pleasure, most travel involves a plane, car, or another form of fossil fuel-intensive transportation, producing significant greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to global warming. Hotels consume significant amounts of energy and generate mountains of garbage from various guest services. Increased tourism builds pressure on local ecosystems and natural resources.

Luckily, green vacation options exist, such as staying in an green hotel or driving a hybrid rental car, but they can be harder to find while statistics are certainly hard to ignore. Take airplanes, for example, the universal symbol of travel itself. Air travel alone accounts for approximately 8% of worldwide carbon emissions. With the number of international travelers projected to rise to 1.6 billion by 2020, this percentage is expected to grow considerably. A roundtrip flight from NYC to London contributes almost 4 tons of CO2 per person. That’s more emissions than 20 people in Bangladesh produce in a year, and roughly half the CO2 produced by the average American household in a year.
Concurrently, cruise ships produce more carbon emissions per person than any other form of transportation, spewing a pound of CO2 per passenger mile compared to a half-pound for airlines. Major cruise operators like Carnival, Royal Caribbean International, and Norwegian Cruise Line have already been sued for environmental infractions, like illegal dumping of sewage and toxic chemicals., and are infamous for causing significant damage to coral reefs when they dock. And once on land, car-drivers are responsible for approximately 33% of the carbon emissions in the United States alone, emitting over 300 million tons of carbon each year.

So, what are the options for greener travel?
Unless crossing a large body of water, consider trains and buses as a preferred mode of transporation. Each is over five times more energy-efficient than going by car, and produces three to seven times fewer CO2 emissions than flying. Also, green hotels—a growing segment of the industry—work to cut solid waste and conserve water and energy via a number of measures, including installing energy-efficient HVAC systems, using energy-saving CFL light bulbs, utilizing solar power and grey-watter recycling programs and promoting sustainable tourism - a means within the travel industry to protect natural areas, urban and rural areas and local cultures and economies.

Many organizations and companies offer carbon offsets that allow vacationers to minimize their greenhouse gas emissions from activities such as plane and car travel by purchasing credits toward green projects that reduce carbon emissions. Some groups have developed offset standards or are in the process of doing so, however not all standards are equally stringent. One of the most comprehensive and widely endorsed is the Gold Standard, which certifies offset projects that follow strict criteria and are verified by independent third parties.

For more information, visit A Consumer’s Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers, which describes how different offset programs stack up against one another.