Technology is playing a crucial role in helping eco-travelers make environmentally conscious choices. From carbon offset calculators to digital maps and guides, there are numerous tools to facilitate sustainable choices.- BY Pamela Grant

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism development as “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” It is present and future-oriented. Sustainable tourism development has three parts: maintaining ecological processes and biodiversity, respecting the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, and ensuring viable, long-term economic operations that provide socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders.

Eco-travelers want to support sustainability in all three ways by making informed decisions that minimize their environmental, social, and economic impact. Technology for eco-travelers supports better decision-making by addressing everything from carbon emissions reductions to discovering natural sites off the beaten path. Carbon offset calculators, sustainable travel apps, and smart transportation solutions are examples of how technology has become a catalyst for more sustainable travel.

Empowering Eco-Travel With Technology

Serious eco-travelers do more than consider sustainability best practices while booking hotel stays. They understand their choices, no matter how small, can make a significant impact. Though hotels are an important element of sustainable travel, there is also the choice of transportation, cultural and environmental locations to visit, activities to enjoy, and tours. At each step, there are opportunities to travel “green,” and technology can help, empowering individuals to be the change they want to see in the world.

One major step is calculating the carbon footprint. Fortunately, carbon footprint calculators can estimate carbon emissions from transportation, accommodations, and activities. By quantifying their emissions, travelers can offset their carbon footprint by investing in projects that reduce carbon emissions elsewhere, such as reforestation or renewable energy initiatives. The Carbon Footprint program has a free carbon calculator that estimates carbon emissions for flights, cars, motorbikes, buses, and rail and a list of activities based on spending. Activities include hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cultural activities, among many others.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) also has an online carbon calculator for determining emissions from flights, car miles, rail trips, and hotel stays. The EDF also makes suggestions for reducing emissions. They include choosing trains over planes, using a transportation carrier that uses fuel-efficient planes or vehicles, using ride-sharing, staying in LEED-certified hotels, and using vendors that mitigate their monitored greenhouse gas emissions.

These are just two examples of carbon footprint calculators performing different functions. Many carbon footprint calculators for individuals focus on transportation and hotel stays, but there are other tools that help travelers make decisions that are good for the environment.

Leveraging Hotel Booking Platforms

Travelers can now leverage online booking platforms to promote sustainability. When booking a hotel, many platforms either indicate each hotel's sustainability practices, or travelers can use filters to consider only hotels that follow green practices. The smart booking platforms use algorithms that consider sustainability metrics when delivering search results. Even better, smart booking platforms consider environmental and social practices when suggesting tours and transportation. For example, on Expedia.com, travelers can compare estimated carbon emissions for flights and the sustainability practices of hotels, like 100% renewable energy, annual carbon offsets, energy-saving features, water-efficient appliances, and recycling. There are also socially responsible features to consider. These include locally sourced foods, local culture and ecosystem education, and locally-owned tours and activities.

Travel Apps for Sustainability: From Food to Activities

Travel apps for sustainability offer more than eco-friendly air, transportation, and hotel recommendations. Fairtrip is an app that helps travelers find information about local places to eat, see, enjoy activities, and experience the culture. The founders wanted to drive eco-tourists to local areas not benefitting from tourism. The FairTrip app is unique in that travelers can add a place to the app if it is “authentic, green, local, social, and fair.” The FairTrip team reviews the submission to ensure it meets the criteria, and there are now over 3,000 global locations on the app. The places include homestays, local restaurants, and authentic experiences. There are other options, of course. The HappyCow app can help travelers find vegan and vegetarian restaurants in over 180 countries. EcoHero is an app that tracks meals, transport, lifestyle, and plastic. Hiking apps such as FarOut offer worldwide maps and route planning. This app connects people to hiking trails in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, South America, the UK, and the USA. Meticulous trail data is available that guides hikers along the trail, shows plotted waypoints, and allows posting comments about conditions so other users can read the information. Bikemap offers user-generated cycling routes in more than 100 countries. It can assist with trails suitable for mountain bikes, e-bikes, cross bikes, and racing bikes. If you want to rent an e-bike to roam a city, there are plenty of apps to help with that, too, like Donkey Republic in Europe and PBSC in 15 global cities.

Future of Travel is Green

Sometimes, travelers want more information than a few pictures and descriptions. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer immersive experiences that can inspire eco-travel by allowing users to explore natural wonders and conservation projects virtually. This can spark interest in visiting eco-friendly destinations or participating in sustainable tourism initiatives. However, VR and AR may also reduce physical footprints when people enjoy high-quality tours and locations virtually.

The ability to crowdsource information also influences eco-travel. Platforms encouraging community members to share their experiences and knowledge about sustainable travel practices and places to visit that are ideal for eco-travelers can increase eco-travel, benefiting people and the planet. The future of travel is green and not just for reducing greenhouse gases. Many areas have suffered measurable damage from overtourism. Technology helps educate travelers on the importance of respecting locations and adopting eco-tourism behaviors and can guide them during their excursion.

As the Iroquois Maxim says, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” By harnessing the power of technology, travelers can minimize their environmental footprint while experiencing the world's beauty.