Sustainable travel requires a collective approach from the community. Rethinking travel, really as part of rethinking our lives and societies generally, starts with conversations and questions like these ones. Then experimenting! And relishing that process. Then sharing the stories of how wonderful and fulfilling travelling sustainably can be.
Yes, this is about travel that is less energy intensive, less fossil fuel powered, and less wasteful all around. But it's also about rediscovering travel as an adventure, staying on the ground more, getting more physically active in our travel, and connecting more with the world and its people, in all the fascinating places we too often power straight past or over.
Then building on all this, as communities, we can look to change the systems that either encourage sustainable or unsustainable travel, such as incentives that might be in play that encourage more energy intensive travel versus more local, less energy intensive travel (think frequent flyer points, for example). In summary, though, if we are to focus on some easy steps to take as a community:
Have conversations - talk with people about all this, share the dilemma, rather than preach about it, and of course share the possibilities for different – even better – ways of travelling.
Learn more about our limited ‘carbon budget’ and the impacts of travel – in those conversations, by tapping reputable sources, and by looking into the possibilities for travel that make a positive contribution to the communities to which you travel (e.g. see the list below).
Walk the talk – seek to enrich your travel, and inspire others, by trying new ways of travel that impact less negatively, and more positively.