Editor’s note: This post is meant to provide a list of options and inspiration for your future travels, things you can keep in mind as the world opens back up and you start to plan and book your trips. This is by no means meant to be read as condescending, or judgey. It’s just what I have been thinking about more and more as I read the daily news. These are the things I will strive to remember to do in my travels moving forward. Thank you!

The world is a different place: the sky and ocean are clearer, animals are taking over abandoned towns and coral reefs are experiencing an abundance of new life. How did this happen? Humans were forced to stay indoors, and were finally confronted with the results of their physical impact on the planet.

But as the old saying goes, “this too shall pass”, and there will come a moment in time when we will be allowed to commute to work and traverse the globe again. The key question is though, as we think about what the future of travel looks like in 2020, and beyond, how can we also rethink how to travel and how to use it as a force for good in a post-pandemic world? Ask yourself this:

What can you do to help the planet, and support local communities, while checking places off your bucket list?

Travel more by land, than by air

Just by taking fewer round-trip flights every year you can shrink your personal emissions significantly. You don’t need to go the route of flight shaming others, and you don’t need to hop on a plane, to have an epic adventure. There have been many predictions recently that as cities, states and countries start opening up, domestic travel is going to see a surge through the end of the year – and road trips will be the popular trips of summer 2021.

If when you decide to start traveling again you look domestically first, look to the land before the air, and try taking more buses, trains and car road trips.

Trains are the new cars. You heard it here first. There is something magical about traveling cross-country via the train. There are the more well-known operators such as Amtrak, Via (in Canada), and Eurail. When you travel by train not only do you get to experience more of your journey, on the way to your destination, but the journey becomes a trip in itself – and that is where some of the most epic train rides all over the world come into play. Just think the Coast Starlight that runs from LA to Seattle, The Great Western Way from Toronto to Vancouver, the Trans-Siberian across Russia and so many more!
Megabus, Greyhound, FlixBus, and similar companies, are a great option for those who do not have a car, and are on more of a budget. They may not be the quickest or most comfortable option, but can be quite affordable as Megabus for example has $1 fares if you book far enough in advance.
And then there is also nothing like the good old road-trip. Whether you’re driving across Europe, touring the National Parks in the Western Park of the United States, driving along the Garden Route in South Africa, or just going on a day-trip out to Long Island, there is nothing better than rolling down your windows, cranking up the music and taking in the scenery as you make your way along the route of a memorable adventure.

Track your (carbon and water) footprint

One thing I think people forget is how the things we do every day, and the habits we have, consistently add up. It’s kind of crazy when you do go into a carbon calculator and aside from flying see how much of an impact your daily life has on your personal emissions.

There are many sites and apps out there that will help you calculate your carbon footprint, as well as your water footprint, based on what you consume, how you consume, your commuting style, and your travel habits. If you don’t have the patience to manually enter everything, which honestly these calculators are set up like Buzzfeed quizzes so they’re super easy to fill out, there are also apps out there which will calculate your footprint through your phone’s GPS.

Once you do fill these calculators out it’s pretty mind blowing how quickly things can add up. But it’s also super helpful to see the areas where you need to improve, as well as receive tips and tricks on how you can cut back.

In the end it’s all about finding attainable ways change your habits and reduce your impact.

Eat out sustainably

I have never been someone who is all about eating out all the time. Growing up on the West Coast and going to school in Southern California my friends and I were able to consistently fill our time with outdoor activities and chill friend time at each others apartments vs. spending a majority of our hang out time at happy hours, brunches and weekly dinners out.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with eating out. I love to do this when I am traveling, because in my opinion it’s one of the best ways to truly experience a location’s culture. But it also happens to be something that can significantly contribute to your carbon footprint while also destroying your wallet – take it from someone who previously lived in NYC, “the land of eating out”.

Instead of feeling like you can’t go out to eat at all, change your mindset and your relationship with food. When you travel and sample the local fare, when you go out to catch up with friends, and when you try to whip up the latest thing you found on Pinterest keep in mind your “food-print”.

Skip meat, or cut back on how much and how often you consume it
Opt out of buffets, because let’s be real you’re not going to eat all that food
Search out restaurants that use locally produced and in-season ingredients instead aka go farm to table

By choosing “conscious restaurants”, restaurants that are mindful of the season, that donate their surplus to shelters, and that serve ethically sourced food, especially seafood, you are contributing to their smaller footprint.

Choose travel companies that are openly trying to reduce their footprints

There are many companies that recognize the impact they are having on the planet, but there are also many who are not. This is when it comes down to the individual, and our responsibility to do our research.

Do you want to support the companies that may be more well-known and provide luxurious experiences, but are also taking advantage of the planet? Or do you want to start going with the companies that maybe have a “less flashy name” but are keenly aware of their impact?

There are many airlines that are switching over to green fuel, tour operators that are openly stating they are trying to go carbon neutral, and travel industry brands that are focusing more and more on offsetting. All of these things make it easier for us as consumers to support travel businesses that are trying to reduce their impact. Although the options may not be vast and wide, every year we have more options to choose the right company to book with.

Give back to local communities through experiences

As avid travelers many of us are mindful of wanting to get out of our comfort zones and engage with the locals. But why not take it a step further than just hitting up a local bar and chatting with people during happy hour? Consider high-value tourism that both helps local communities economically, gives the locals a sense of pride in what they can share, and leaves you with the best of memories.

Have you always wanted to learn how to make pasta? Avoid Groupon and find a local nonna that invites people into her home for a cooking lesson. Is going to Cuba and getting a real Cuban cigar on your bucket list? Why not go to a tobacco farm, volunteer to help out for a couple of hours and really learn about how they are made? Are you hoping to get an inside or behind-the-scenes look at the history of the city you are visiting? Don’t go straight to the hotel concierge, hire a local guide instead!

When local travel is done right and gives back to the communities you are visiting you come back with a wealth of memories and recommendations to share.

Volunteer and support local projects

Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Leave a place better than you found it.

These are sayings our parents told us that could not be more true when it comes to traveling the world. We want to leave a place even better for the next person – because when we return the next year, or 5 or 10 years later we want to feel just as much appreciation and awe the first time we saw it. This is where you can use your influence for good – by adding in activities or excursions that give back, even if it’s only for a few hours.

I’m sure you have heard about the state of bleaching many of the world’s corals reefs are going through. To put it plainly, many of them are dying. So If you go to a place like Florida, look into restoration projects that will allow you to help plant coral nurseries.

There is an insane amount of plastic that enters the ocean every year, and then there is the staggering issue of micro plastics and the amount of creatures dying from consuming them. So if you’re going on a beach holiday, why not clear a couple handfuls of trash as you’re walking along the sand? You’re already taking a walk, if you see something pick it up. If you can spare an hour or so of your day, why not join a coastal cleanup? Not only will you meet new people, but you’ll be helping keep your holiday location pristine for others to come.

Olympic National Park in Washington State

Above ground the world’s forests are disappearing at a staggering rate, and it’s not just the trees. These forests also provide habitats for wildlife and are the livelihood for millions of people around the world. We need trees.

If your traveling somewhere that needs more trees (which literally could range from the mangroves of Fiji to the birch trees of Iceland), get your hands a little dirty, again by just giving a couple of hours of your time, and helping plant seedlings. If you don’t want to do “manual labor” then support companies that give back to reforestation projects through your purchase.

Ask for more information before booking

Do you know how tapped in your hotel or resort is to the local community – for both people and nature? Would you change your mind about booking a room if you found out that your hotel was actually harming the environment that it’s in, not providing a decent livelihood to local people, or didn’t care about its overall impact?

These are the questions that we all should be asking. There is a plethora of accommodation options all over the world, so why not make a conscious decision to support the hotel/hostel/resort/etc. that treasures their neighborhood?

Nowadays there are tons of places that are shouting their conservation efforts from the rooftops. Whether it’s local projects they support, global programs they are a part of, or the products they use, if a company is doing good they want you to know about it. So do your due diligence and ask before you book. A simple question can result in support of a longer impact.

Say no to plastic

It seems like a simple thing to do, but it’s actually a lot harder than you may realize. An important thing to note here though is no one is perfect, and being 100% plastic free is very, very difficult. So make sure you always have that in the back of your mind. You may not be able to get rid of your exposure to plastic completely, but you can make small changes to help limit it.

The good thing about the world we live in today is that many companies are realizing the personal impact that comes solely from their packaging – which is making it easier for us as consumers to make better choices. There are some great companies out there that are really helping travelers swap out their go-to gear for more sustainable options.

Where it starts to get difficult again is the places we choose to stay. It’s always a pleasant surprise when you walk into your room and see that a refillable glass water bottle and glass cups are provided, or that your shampoo, conditioner and body wash has been mounted to the shower in reusable containers. This is what we should strive for in every room we stay in. It’s small, but it makes a big difference, and we can start to take the reins on helping the hospitality industry make that change.

Call up the properties you’re interested in staying in and ask them about their toiletries, ask about their minibar, ask about the glasses and water that is being provided in your room. Is everything coming in plastic containers, or in plastic cups, or is it all glass? By being persistent and continually holding properties accountable for their plastic use we are able to facilitate change. One day we won’t have to ask these questions.

Experience wildlife safely and ethically

One thing I have noticed is that many of my dream bucket list trips have a common thread between them — typically having to do with either history and/or mythology or wildlife.

There’s a reason I have always wanted to go on safari, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, help release baby sea turtles, swim with whale sharks, and so much more. Yes, I truly love exploring a great city and experiencing cultures different from my home country, but I also want to see wildlife in its natural habitat, and experience epic landscapes that take my breath away. I haven’t been able to do them yet, but I also am acutely aware of the fact that many places that provide wildlife experiences are not doing them safely or ethically. So it’s my responsibility to search out the legitimate sanctuaries and tour providers that are putting the animals’ needs first.

It’s similar to how we look at a Fair Trade label. We want to know that the products we are buying have been ethically made, so we should also want to know that the products we are buying are coming from companies that are also helping save wildlife. The same goes with tour operators and accommodation companies. We should make sure that they are doing right by their wildlife neighbors – as cute as that baby animal may be as responsible humans we should remember that wildlife should be treated as it is – wild.

When you get that first taste of wanderlust and adventure it’s hard to get rid of. Your bucket list gets longer and your memory book gets bigger. But as travel starts to open back up again slow down a bit. Be more intentional, don’t book every deal you see, think about how the world has healed in these months of solidarity and how you can keep it on this track.

The world is our playground, not our dumpster. So when the world, and the world of travel, reopens be ready to take positive action as you check off your bucket list.