Touring
39. Visit Blue Flag Beaches
Support coastal communities practicing responsible environmental stewardship policies, and help ensure a healthy beach vacation, by choosing Blue Flag beaches. Marinas and beaches earning the coveted Blue Flag have met 29 criteria covering four major areas:
1. environmental education and information
2. water quality
3. environmental management
4. safety and services
"Choose a safe and clean beach by checking for Blue Flag certified beaches in your destination," says Alyssa Johnson, president of Oro Azul. "The Blue Flag program has certified over 3,200 beaches and marinas in 37 countries around the world." Go to Blue Flag to view a searchable database of Blue Flag-certified marinas and beaches (updated each June).
40. Hike a Historic Cemetery
A historic cemetery offers visitors peaceful respite and a completely non-commercialized view of the past unlike that available anywhere else in the community.
"Cemeteries can oftentimes be one of the most beautiful sites in a community, very representative of the local flavor and of a people's values and beliefs," says Risa Ishikawa, designer for the Green Map System. "Green travel is not just about preserving local environmental resources, but also about respecting long-held traditions and cultural heritage. Furthermore, a wooded cemetery can provide a great opportunity to appreciate a place's natural features and enjoy a refreshing, well-shaded walk."
Every cemetery has its own hours, regulations, and terrain, so check at the on-site cemetery office, or call in advance, before embarking on a walking tour. One of the best U.S. cemeteries for green hiking is Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the nation's first garden cemetery. Located about 30 minutes from Boston, this urban oasis features a pond, two lakes, grassy trails, and hilltop tower providing panoramic views of the Boston skyline. There's no fee to walk, but bring a quarter to buy a cemetery map at the gate.
41. Go Where the Wild Things Are
"With all the talk of airlines and global climate change, a well-meaning traveler could easily conclude that taking a safari to Africa is bad for the planet. Wrong," says Costas Christ, president of the Adventure Council and founding member and former Chairman of the Board of the International Ecotourism Society.
"From the Serengeti to the Papua New Guinea highlands, sustainable tourism is the last great hope for protecting rare and endangered plant and animal species and their vanishing habitat," he explains. "More than 70 percent of all life on land exists on roughly 1.4 percent of the Earth's surface—the so-called biodiversity hotspots. Ecotourism is one of the few ways to keep more species from going extinct more quickly—like mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The issue is not to stop traveling, but to make travel more sustainable."
42. Stay on the Trail
We all know the universal visitor's adage: "Take only memories, leave only footprints," but it can be tempting to venture off the beaten path to save time, avoid crowds, explore pristine territory, or experience the thrill of riding a snowmobile through forested backcountry or an all terrain (ATV) or four-wheel-drive vehicle across an open beach.
Unfortunately, if we all took the road less traveled by—whether on foot or on an ATV—we'd end up destroying the very natural or historic sites we came to see. According to the Sierra Club, veering off the marked route in the wilderness can erode or compact soil, degrade animal habitats and water quality, destroy wildflowers and vegetation, spread invasive weeds, and frighten, injure, or kill animals. And blazing your own trail through an archaeological or cultural heritage site can damage the integrity of the artifacts.
Government parks and wilderness areas typically require hikers who want to venture off the path to apply for an off-trail permit. While traveling off trail isn't actually prohibited by law in other locations, sticking to the marked route is the right—and green—thing to do.
"Responsible travelers follow designated trails and do not remove archaeological or biological treasures from sites." says Erika Harms, executive director of Sustainable Development at the United Nations Foundation.
Tread Lightly, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting outdoor recreation access and the environment through education and stewardship, offers a series of downloadable "Tips for Responsible Recreation" brochures to help outdoor enthusiasts become better environmental stewards. Before you embark on your next outdoor adventure, read and heed the tips related to your outing. Topics include Responsible Camping, Responsible Hiking, Responsible Snowsports, and Responsible Horseback Riding.
43. Respect Local Cultures
"Treating others the way you wish to be treated is the basic premise of responsible travel," says Sherry Schwarz, editor and publisher, Transitions Abroad magazine and, director of the Abroad View Foundation. "It sounds simple, because it is simple: When we travel, we are visiting the homes of our global neighbors, getting to know them, and experiencing how they live."
Schwarz suggests taking these four practical steps to "become a more conscious and conscientious traveler:"
1. Choose local guides
2. Stay in locally owned accommodations
3. Eat locally produced food
4. Respect local customs and traditions
"Only some 5 percent of the world's population has even been on a plane," continues Schwarz. "This is a humbling statistic that reminds me how fortunate those of us are who can travel and that we must show great respect and gratitude for the people and places we visit."
For more responsible travel suggestions, download the Transition Abroad Responsible Travel Handbook.
