The Travel List

Words Karen Edwards

From inception, we wanted the Travel Green List to be an extensive, inspiring and honest portrayal of sustainability in travel. So, we began by asking the most obvious question: what is sustainable travel?

It’s a question that often yields an elusive answer, due to the many complex aspects around sustainability. We already know that reducing carbon emissions is crucial, as is preserving the planet’s biodiversity and ecosystems. However, the effect of tourism on communities is also vital, albeit a factor far less widely appreciated.

In fact, in most cases these go hand in hand. A well-supported society will be more empowered and equipped to protect its environment, strengthening regeneration. In regions where Indigenous peoples are striving for acknowledgement and survival, First Nations-led tourism initiatives can be empowering and educational for both visitors and locals alike. It thus follows that all these experiences should be inclusive and accessible to people of every background and ability, and not least because that’s just basic human decency.

In essence, sustainable travel is an exchange of enriching and interactive encounters that benefit both the visitor and the host. This was the philosophy we adopted in compiling the Travel Green List. In doing so, we discovered that sustainable travel experiences can be enjoyed in the most unexpected corners of the world, where they can truly be a force for good.

The conservation of Ecuador’s Cloud Forest supported by Mashpi Eco Lodge, for example, has led to 12 new species being identified. In Cambodia, Shinta Mani Wild’s woodland camp sustains sections of the Cardamom National Forest that were otherwise doomed to deforestation. And it’s not always small enterprises that enact change. Amilla Maldives has opted to reduce its carbon footprint by conducting a thorough supply-chain audit, and it produces much of its food in-house. Then there is Florida’s tourism board, who are building a strong, accessible infrastructure to ensure everyone, particularly disabled travellers, can experience the best of the state.

Throughout this list we celebrate people and places committed to making a difference: those that are taking meaningful steps towards safeguarding local culture, environment and wildlife. We pay great attention to the operators delivering deeper, more interactive travel itineraries and the transport providers making emissions reductions a priority. Finally, several well-known friends of Wanderlust have added their voices on how to travel with purpose; their wise words coming from years of travel experience.

Welcome to the first ever Wanderlust Travel Green List.