15 Reasons to Travel Green

photo credit: Nicholas T

As a traveler you have the opportunity to see amazing new things in far-away places, and as a green traveler you have the opportunity to preserve them for future generations. There are hundreds of reasons to be more environmentally-conscious and responsible when you travel. Here are 15 of our favorites:

1. It’s Good for the Environment. No need to say more.
2. It’s Good for your Children, and your Children’s Children. By being a responsible tourist you’ll do your part to ensure that the places you visit will still be there 15, 50, even 500 years from now.
3. You’ll Save Money. Green travel is often cheaper than traditional travel. When you burn through fewer resources, you spend less money.
4. You’ll Have Something Interesting to Talk About. Trust us, when you hike (instead of drive) 4 treacherous miles up a snowy mountain in Siberia in search of the village’s only ATM machine, only to find out the power is out and you’ll have to trek back the next day, you’ll have a new story to tell at parties.
5. You’ll Meet Other Travelers. A great way to travel green is to stay at a hostel and cook in the hostel’s kitchen. The kitchen is often the communal area in a hostel and it’s a great place to make friends with other globetrotters.
6. You’ll Meeting Interesting Locals. Two words: Public transportation. There’s no better place to meet (or at least observe) interesting locals.
7. You’ll Get Off the Beaten Track. Trying to find organic lettuce in the middle of Siberia will definitely put you somewhere you’d never thought you’d go. Just be sure to check if someone is at their dacha before you go digging in their garden. (In case we need to spell it out, this is a slight exaggeration. Stealing is bad, even in Siberia. Don’t do it.)
8. You’ll Learn the Local Life. Locals often live greener because it’s more economical, especially in some European countries and Canada. They are more likely to take public transportation or bike, spend an afternoon in the park, or eat an interesting local food than the tourist will.
9. You’ll Lose Weight (or it will at least be good for your health). Walking more, eating healthier, consuming less = the perfect healthy diet plan.
10. There will be More to See/Future Vacations. Green travel now is imperative to any sort of travel in the future. If you want to take a trip later, travel green now.
11. You’ll Strengthen Your Brain. If you’re new to “going green” you will quickly learn to see things from a different perspective and keep your mind active.
12. You can Focus on the Travel. When you focusing less on what you consume, you can focus more on what you came to see and experience.
13. You’ll Feel Good about Yourself. When you “do good” you feel a little better about yourself as a person and what you contribute to this world. And you’ll realize what an impact you can make.
14. It’s Not as Hard as You Think. Once you get the hang of it, traveling green becomes second nature. All it takes is a few minor changes and maybe a big one here or there. In the end the question isn’t “why travel green?” but “why not travel green?”
15. It’s Trendy. Green is the new black. Before you click away, hear me out. I’m generally not big on group think mentality, but when more travelers go green it’s good for the environment. If it’s “in” to be thinking about your impact, then I’m all about trends.

(Source: http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-travel-101/15-reasons-to-travel-green/)