TRAVEL IQ
TRAVELLING LIGHT
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ree flight takes us to some of the world’s most beautiful and unspoilt landscapes. But getting to – and sometimes even just visiting – them can put their very existence in peril. Climate change, overtourism, plastic pollution, littering and overdevelopment are all part of the problem. Certainly, chasing the flying season around the world from Europe to Brazil to India to Australia and back again will send your carbon footprint rocketing – so what to do about it?
Getting there
When it comes to travel, flying has by far the largest impact. The aviation industry currently contributes around 2% of emissions globally. According to Atmosfair, a return flight from London to Munich, for example, generates around 176kg of CO2, while a round-trip to New Delhi will release 1,181kg of CO2 into the atmosphere – that’s far more carbon than many people in the world emit in a year.
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The obvious tip, then, is to fly less. Limiting your trips abroad and making more use of your local sites, or those further afield that you can reach by rail or road, will make a massive dent in your carbon footprint. And when you do fly, fly economy, pack light (it all makes a difference) – and consider paying into a carbon offset scheme. These vary in price and quality, so do some careful research, but service providers include Atmosfair (atmosfair.de.en), Climate Care (climatecare.org) and Flygreen (flygrn.com). When travelling to and from the airport, opt for a train or bus.
some of the worst air pollution in France. Hardly a surprise given that five million tourists visit every year and it’s on the direct route for thousands of trucks a day travelling between Italy and France. With this in mind, always consider whether you might be part of the problem. Avoid locations that are already struggling to accommodate the crowds, opt to stay in an eco-friendly hotel, travel around responsibly (sharing a ride with others reduces pollution and congestion), and shop with the environment in mind.
Tread lightly
Ditch the plastic
You should also consider the impact your visit will have on your destination – and those who live there. According to the latest figures from the World Tourism Organisation, tourist arrivals grew to 1.322 billion in 2017. That’s a whole lot of travellers – and many locations are buckling under the pressure. Paragliding hotspot Chamonix, in the shadow of Mont Blanc, for example, has
CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2020 RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Waste plastic has become a catastrophic issue globally (approximately one million plastic bottles are bought every minute), so avoid plastic bags, bottles, straws and other – particularly single use – items wherever possible. Where there’s a safe source of fresh water, use a refillable bottle. And when you do have to throw something away, do it responsibly. Just because there
