Last Updated on November 26, 2025
Traveling sustainably is a priority for me, and at least a few of my New Year’s resolutions each year revolve around this theme. Because I’m never sure where I’ll be a year from now, I try to live by those resolutions no matter the date on the calendar.
In recent years—with tourism surpassing pre-2020 levels and more destinations introducing crowd controls or seasonal closures—the need for thoughtful, lower-impact travel has only become clearer. And as travel has changed, so have I. I move through the world differently now: less rushing, more rooting in, more attention to the small choices that shape a trip.
Sustainable travel isn’t a set of rules for me so much as a way of traveling with a little more awareness and a little less hurry. Here are a few ways to weave that mindset into your own travels.
How do responsible and sustainable travel differ?
Responsible and sustainable travel both focus on minimizing harm and maximizing positive contributions to the places we visit.
Responsible travel tends to emphasize social and cultural awareness: respecting local customs, supporting local economies, and ensuring ethical treatment of people and animals.
Sustainable travel focuses more directly on environmental conservation—reducing carbon emissions, conserving resources, and protecting biodiversity. In practice, they overlap often, especially when supporting local communities contributes to environmental stewardship.
In 2025, the difference is increasingly visible. Venice, for example, introduced day-trip fees to protect local life (responsible travel) while also limiting cruise ship access for environmental reasons (sustainable travel). The best approach blends both.
Ways to Travel More Sustainably
Go off the grid.
Influencer culture has brought attention to lesser-known destinations, but it has also accelerated overtourism in fragile places. Opting for “off-the-grid” travel helps spread tourism dollars and reduces pressure on heavily visited areas.
Some of my favorite travel days have been the quiet ones—wandering into a town with no expectations and letting the small, unpolished moments unfold at their own pace.
Many destinations—from Japan’s less-visited prefectures to Portugal’s inland villages—now actively encourage travelers to explore beyond major hubs. Choosing these places isn’t just quieter and more meaningful; it’s one of the easiest ways to travel sustainably.
Technology plays into this, too. I’ve felt increasing fatigue around constant connectivity, and disconnecting while traveling brought back the sense of texture travel once had. On a recent trip to Mexico, I left my phone behind entirely. I still carried a camera, but it mostly stayed tucked away as I wandered—more attuned to what was around me.
Enjoy the natural beauty of each new place.
Prioritizing national parks, conservatories, and botanical gardens supports conservation directly, often through entrance fees and donations. It’s also grounding. The quiet of a desert or the cool shade under an old tree does as much for our minds as it does for the places we visit.
This ethos of merging travel with nature took me on a soul-stirring journey to the Grand Canyon. The rugged beauty, the sheer magnitude of it all, was not just visually stunning but emotionally transformative. It was a poignant reminder that such natural wonders are preserved through the combined efforts of conservationists and us, the visitors who revel in their majesty.
Places like these stay with you. They recalibrate you in a way that’s hard to name until you’re back home and still carrying that sense of scale around in your chest.
Today, many protected areas require advance reservations to manage crowds and reduce strain on wildlife. Reef-safe sunscreen rules, seasonal beach closures, and trail caps are now normal tools for protecting fragile ecosystems.
You don’t need dramatic landscapes to practice this. A local park or nearby forest offers the same restorative benefits and reminds us that nature doesn’t have to be far from home to matter. Take a book and read under a tree; let your mind wander as your eyes trace the intricate patterns of leaves overhead.
Shop local to support mom-and-pop businesses.
Sticking to familiar or tourist-heavy areas can feel easier, especially when navigating new languages or traveling solo. But stepping into smaller, local spots creates richer experiences and ensures more of your spending stays in the community.
This doesn’t require grand gestures. Eat at a market stall instead of a global chain. Choose a local guide over a large operator. Shop at neighborhood vendors instead of supermarkets. Some of my favorite discoveries—including the best hot chocolate in Oaxaca—came from simple conversations with locals.
Travel rarely hinges on the so-called big moments; it’s these tiny encounters—someone’s favorite food stall, a shared laugh, a bowl of something you wouldn’t have found on your own—that make a place feel human.
In recent years, community-run cooperatives, women-led collectives, and Indigenous-owned tours have become easier to find, often through tourism boards or local WhatsApp groups. Choosing them deepens your connection to a place while supporting those who shape it.
Use all of your vacation days.
Travel doesn’t have to be long-haul or long-term to be meaningful. Some of the most restorative experiences are close to home—vineyards you’ve passed for years, a quiet stretch of coastline, or a forest you’ve never bothered to explore.
Shorter, closer trips often align naturally with sustainability. They avoid flights, produce fewer emissions, and support local businesses. Many sustainable travel apps now make it easier to carpool, find cycling routes, or discover hidden green spaces nearby.
With heat waves and extreme weather reshaping traditional travel seasons, staying closer to home can also offer more flexibility and reduce stress on destinations during their busiest periods.
Give the gift of travel.
Experiences often make more meaningful gifts than things—and they can nudge loved ones toward more sustainable travel.
Think of a weekend at an eco-friendly bed and breakfast, a guided foraging walk with an Indigenous guide, or an e-bike tour of a nearby trail. Gifts like these support local businesses and introduce others to thoughtful ways of traveling.
When it comes to gifts that make an impact, sometimes the most treasured offerings are not material possessions but experiences. What if, in gifting experiences, we also gave a lesson in sustainability, showing our loved ones that thoughtful travel can be both enriching and kind to the planet?
Opt for train trips over flights.
Flights carry a heavy carbon footprint. Trains, on the other hand, offer lower emissions, scenic windows, and a slower pace that makes the journey part of the experience.
Plus, there’s something nostalgic and romantic about train travel that planes just can’t replicate. Beyond the charm and the panoramic windows, trains also offer a more sustainable way to traverse landscapes.
Taking the train doesn’t just avoid long security lines at the airport; it’s a style of travel that values the journey as much as the destination. Some people have even managed to travel around the entire world without flying, using only overland trains, buses, and boats.
Rail options continue to expand. Europe has revived several night routes, Mexico has expanded regional rail, and some intercity bus systems are shifting to electric fleets. Even flight-booking sites now surface carbon-emission comparisons by default, making lower-impact choices easier.
Extend your stay in far-off places.
If you’re flying long distance, staying longer helps balance the environmental cost and allows for deeper immersion. Longer stays naturally encourage slower travel—visiting neighborhood markets, learning a few phrases, exploring with more intention.
Many countries now offer long-stay or digital-nomad visas designed to spread tourism beyond coastal hubs and peak seasons. Staying longer benefits both you and the communities you visit.
Choose Sustainable Accommodation
Where you lay your head at night also plays a role in your environmental footprint.
When booking, look for accommodations that demonstrate genuine commitments—water-saving systems, energy-efficient designs, and meaningful community partnerships. Certifications like GSTC, B-Corp, and the EU Ecolabel provide clearer standards now than early “green” marketing used to.
Limit Plastic Waste
Plastic waste remains one of the biggest challenges in many destinations. Carrying a reusable bottle, portable filter, reusable bag, and your own small utensils can significantly reduce what you consume on the road.
More destinations regulate single-use plastics—including marine parks in Mexico, Hawai‘i, Thailand, and parts of the Mediterranean. Many airports have eliminated bottled water entirely in favor of refill stations.
Be Mindful of Wildlife Tourism
Choose wildlife experiences that contribute to conservation rather than exploitation. Avoid activities like elephant rides or tiger photos; instead, look for reputable sanctuaries or responsible diving and trekking companies.
ABTA’s updated Global Welfare Guidance is a useful benchmark—many ethical tour operators now reference it directly.
Book with social enterprises.
Social enterprises—cooking classes run by marginalized women, trekking companies funding local education, collectives that preserve traditional crafts—make it easy to ensure your spending does more than fuel profit.
These businesses are easier to identify now, thanks to clearer labeling and community tourism initiatives. Many social enterprises their impact metrics openly, so you know exactly what your visit supports.
Ethical Volunteering
Volunteering abroad can be enriching, but it must be done thoughtfully. Short-term placements can sometimes hinder more than help, especially in teaching or child-centered roles.
Seek organizations that request volunteers based on their skills and that partner closely with local communities. Skill-matching and community-requested roles remain the gold standard in sustainable volunteering.
Conserve Local Resources
In many destinations, especially islands or arid regions, water and energy are in short supply. Simple habits—shorter showers, reusing towels, turning off lights and AC—add up.
Many accommodations now clean rooms only on request, a practice that began for health reasons but continues because it significantly reduces water use. Portable solar chargers and accommodations designed for passive cooling make resource-conscious travel easier than ever.
Pack smarter to lighten your impact.
Packing cubes help you stay organized, but the bigger impact comes from choosing reusable, long-lasting items. Solid shampoo bars, microplastic-free toiletries, and lightweight laundry sheets reduce waste at the source.
A reusable shopping bag, collapsible bottle, and travel cutlery set cover most situations where single-use items would otherwise end up in your day.
Travel feels different in a warming world—more intentional, more precious, and increasingly shaped by the choices we make. Sustainable travel isn’t about perfection; it’s about aligning joy with responsibility in ways that help destinations thrive long after we’ve left.
And the more I travel this way—slowly, consciously—the more I’m reminded that sustainable travel isn’t a separate category. It’s simply travel that leaves room for connection, both to a place and to the people who call it home
Is traveling more sustainably one of your goals this year? What steps will you take to get there?
*Includes additional reporting by Shannon O’Donnell.
Cindy is a traveler with an insatiable urge to immerse herself in other cultures. She traveled around the world for six years and has lived everywhere from Bangalore to Alaska and across four continents. She is passionate about supporting local communities and finding ways to support communities.
She volunteers long-term in the places she lives as an expat and strives to show people that the world is actually quite small. While we have many different languages, cultures, customs and lifestyles, we have the same items affecting our lives every day. Shares her adventures on her blog, Casilocal and on Instagram.