Sure, we’ve all heard the term “sustainable” thrown around when it comes to travel, and it usually comes in the form of a certification, a badge or a buzzword. But what does it actually mean? Being sustainable isn’t something that can be awarded, nor is it a buzzword that’s in fashion at the moment; it’s an ethos, a way of being that involves balance, restraint and thinking for the future that goes beyond our travels and the way we talk about them.
It’s about preservation, not disruption. Whether we like it or not, there’s only so much we can do and so much we can take when we travel, and if we consistently overstep those boundaries then we’re causing irreparable damage to our favourite destinations. Instead of asking ourselves how much we can get out of a place, we should be asking how we can help a destination preserve itself whilst still allowing visitors. It means shifting the emphasis from more, faster, bigger and better, to less, slower, smaller and wiser.
Sustainable travel also isn’t someone else’s responsibility. Just because you’ve chosen to stay in an eco lodge or take a responsible tour doesn’t mean you can forget about your own impact. You still need to think about the way you’re using water, your waste, your transport, your respect for protected areas and the list goes on. Sustainability only starts to happen when we realise our own responsibility and adjust our actions accordingly, rather than relying on someone else to take care of it for us.
We also need to talk about time. It’s easy to assume that nothing will change, that destinations will always be there and that the damage we cause isn’t immediately obvious or irreparable. But the truth is that damage is happening all the time, and we need to think about the long-term implications of our actions rather than just short-term gains. Sustainability is about thinking about the next ten years just as much as it is about thinking about the next ten days, and planning our travels accordingly.
It would be about questioning the way we do things and the conveniences we have, and being open to changing them. If we shift the emphasis in this way, then sustainability stops being a buzzword and starts being a movement that can help us to preserve this incredible world of ours for future generations.
