“What each traveler can do to help our planet heal as we resume our trips…”
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There have been at least some features of life during the last year which have been of benefit – such as learning to take our time a bit more:
Slowing down… – Vision Group for Sidmouth
The Sid Valley certainly has a few places to unwind and take it easy:
Slow Ways: help map a network of walking routes – Vision Group for Sidmouth
There is the bigger ‘slow’ movement, which provides some context to all of this:
Slowfood and Cittaslow and keeping things slow… – Vision Group for Sidmouth
And there are many other facets to this – for example:
Slow fashion… second-hand fashion… – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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Another is ‘slow travel’ – which would be part of the ‘responsible tourism’ picture:
Can the tourist industry be ‘sustainable’? – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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Lea Lane writes a reflective piece in Forbes: click on the link below for more:
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Ready To Travel? Go Green And Slow, With Earth Day In Mind
This Earth Day, Thursday April 22, inspires me to reflect on Green Travel and the Slow Travel movement, and what each traveler can do to help our planet heal as we resume our trips…
— Travel Slow Connect to local people, cultures, food and music. It’s easier on the environment, educates, offers emotional impact, and sustains local communities and the environment.
In response to the pandemic, many operators and travelers are adopting the principles of the Slow Travel movement. Embark Beyond created Embark Longer, devoted to stays of a month or more at roughly 95 resorts worldwide. Azamara and other cruise lines are staying longer at ports of call. And many people are booking apartments and houses, and staying in one place: the slowest travel of all.
— Consider Carbon Offset Your carbon footprint expands when you travel, and aviation accounts for as much as two percent of all carbon emissions. Some flight providers let you buy carbon credit when you purchase your ticket; others let you buy these credits directly. The money generally either goes into energy efficiency or reforestation efforts, and you can research to know how your funds will be used.
— Use Ground Transport Trains are an eco-friendly alternative to planes —and buses and subways are environmentally-conscious transportation as well. For shorter distances you can bike; and, of course, walk.
— Seek Eco-Friendly Accommodation Environmental seals of approval for hotels are all over the world. In the U.S. it’s called LEED approval; in other areas it might be called Green Tourism (UK, and some parts of Canada and Italy); the Rainforest Alliance (South America); and EarthCheck (Australia).
— Eat Local The Slow Food movement started in Italy in the 1980s as a reaction to fast-food outlets, and developed into the Slow Travel movement. Shop in local markets, or sustainable restaurants: Not only healthier, it benefits local farmers and suppliers. Plant-based eating is healthy for the environment. Consider agritourism.