Perhaps you’re familiar with that old camper’s philosophy take only pictures, leave only footprints. It’s a nice sentiment to live by. But whether you’re gearing up for a backpacking trip through Nepal or a luxury resort vacation across the pond, chances are you’re doing neither because traveling abroad leaves a footprint no matter how conscientious you are. Luckily, reducing that footprint is becoming easier and easier as the hospitality industry turns their eye toward greening up travel.

Of course, there is plenty you can do to help before you even arrive at your destination. For starters, consider exploring your own backyard. Forgoing that cross-continental plane ride and taking a local bike tour instead will save literally tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Camping is another option that, if done conscientiously, can be both extremely low impact and extremely rewarding; REI has some simple advice to minimize your camping impact.

But let’s be realistic: sometimes you just want to hop on a plane during the dreary months and end up basking in the sun on a beach somewhere. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; the less you move from destination to destination, the lower your impact is likely to be on the environment. Just be sure to do a little legwork before you arrive so you can laze around guilt free: Environmentally Friendly Hotels rates thousands of hotels worldwide according to their green practices, allowing you to select accommodations that meet even your high green standards. Go even further by searching Green Globe 21’s listings of eco-friendly accommodations, transportation, activities and attractions.

Maybe beach bumming it isn’t your cup of tea. If you’d rather a bit more speed and adventure, you might want to look into eco tours, trips that are carefully coordinated to either produce little impact on your destination or even improve the sustainability of a given locale. And as Preston Koerner recently pointed out, the Green Mountains aren’t just in Vermont anymore. More and more ski resorts, like Sugar Bowl in California and Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, are operating exclusively on green energy.

Traveling either locally or abroad can be an eye-opening experience: getting away from your worries and exposing yourself to new places and people can bring a renewed energy and perspective on your daily life. So when planning your trip, choosing your hotel, or figuring out how to get there, take advantage of all the eco-friendly options that are cropping up around the globe. It’s easier than ever to expand your horizons without expanding your footprint.

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About Jess Sand:

Writer and designer Jess Sand is the founder and principal of Roughstock Studios. Born and raised on the East Coast, Jess has been living and writing in San Francisco for the last ten years. Former lives include stints as an office overlord, line and prep cook, poet, number cruncher, honky tonk DJ, bartender, teacher and wrangler of chaos—in no particular order.
These days Jess keeps busy providing writing and graphic design services through Roughstock, focusing primarily on the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industries. Roughstock is committed to producing meaningful messages for its independent, nonprofit and corporate clients while operating as sustainably as possible. She is the author of two blogs, including Small Failures: Sustainability for the Rest of Us and Bar Stories.
Whether camping with The Captain, furiously scribbling in any number of note pads, or enjoying a nice craft beer, Jess works hard to find balance in everything she does. She finds it much easier said than done.