Who likes tourists?

It is inconceivable to me that people are going to stop traveling anytime soon. However, as sydney pointed out, the fuel behind these jaunts and migrations is enormous. Also, because of the high rate of people who travel and rely on car, plane, and train transport frequently there is little incentive for these technologies to be reformatted to fit a greener paradigm. So, what about eco tourism? I am aware of a few different kinds of eco tourism that offer a spectrum of traveling light, consuming less, and learning more all the way to paying more, consuming differently, and traveling not much differently.

First, lets start with the flight. Yes, flying is expensive. I am trying to buy a plane ticket to go home for the holidays this week and I get online, look and the prices, and shut my computer a few times before I can actually pull out my credit card and make the purchase. These days, when I fly I am going to see my family or coming back home to DC. With the occasional longer flight here and there (aka to study abroad) this is the extent of my flying. Yet, this still feels like a lot and I have high hopes that one day I will be able to go on more longer flights to places I have never seen before. So, how do I couple my small budget with the desire to offset the environmental cost of these flights? Well, I think that paying to offset the carbon footprint of flights is great and anyone who can afford it should do so. However, I wish there was a way that the airlines themselves could be held accountable for this external cost. Of course they would pass this cost onto the consumer, but perhaps this would also motivate them to look into their own efficiency. I would LOVE to pay $30 to offset at least part of my flight rather than pay that same amount to bring one bag.

So, as shown by the clip there are a variety of eco tours! There are eco tours that include flying to say....Costa Rica and staying in small, sustainable farms that partner with locally owned restaurants. Many of these little projects of animal rescues, or eco farms rate really high on the sustainability scale, using solar power, grey water, and serving all organic food. However, in my experience in the Caribbean they are often owned by Americans or Europeans. This isn't all bad, but I would love to stay somewhere locally owned and eco friendly. I think I might find more of this in say India, South East Asia, and the Mediterranean. The alternate less eco version of this trip would have travelers staying in a hotel that might have some efficiency measures in place, but would still be sending sewage right into the ocean along with all the other hotels.

For me, traveling in a more eco friendly way means traveling light, buying local crafts from craftsmen when I want to bring back a souvenir, and trying to interact with locals in environments like outdoor markets and public areas rather than going on guided tours. I like to stay in small hostels, bed and breakfasts, or on farms or small hotels that check out as eco friendly after research. Of course, these are often cost effective too! The hardest places to travel eco friendly are in the United States! This is frustrating, especially because our lack of good hostels and expensive b&bs often force low income travelers into motels. I guess all in all, I agree with the Wonder Women that research before buying and consciousness of travel impact are the best steps to take. Also, by staying locally or in hostels you meet great people and avoid other tourists! because seriously, who like tourists?