Travel Better: What Does More Responsible Travel Actually Look Like?
- Aug 9
- 5 min read
Because travelling more consciously doesn't have to mean travelling less.
Travel is one of the great joys of life.
It's the anticipation of somewhere new. The food you've never tried. The people you meet. The wildlife you never expected to see. The hotel you can't stop talking about when you get home.
And we don't believe that enjoying travel and caring about the world around us have to be opposites.
In fact, we think the opposite is true.
The better we understand the impact of our travel choices, the better we can make those choices.
As part of our founder, Kelly Baldwin's journey as a TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassador, she's been looking much more closely at what responsible travel really means - and, importantly, how we talk about it with our clients.
Because this isn't about telling you that you shouldn't travel.
It's about asking:
Could we travel differently?
🌍 Sustainability isn't a box you can simply tick
One of the biggest things Kelly has learnt is that there isn't necessarily such a thing as a completely "sustainable holiday".
A holiday involves transport, accommodation, food, energy, water and a whole network of people and businesses.
So rather than using broad statements like "this is a green holiday" or "this is an eco-friendly hotel", we need to be much more specific.
What does the business actually do?
What evidence supports the claim?
Who benefits?
What is being changed?
And what are the limitations?
The UK's Green Claims Code is very clear that environmental claims should be accurate, clear, substantiated and not misleading through omission.
And the ASA's guidance is particularly relevant to us as travel businesses: environmental claims in travel advertising need to be clear about their basis, with evidence supporting the claims being made.
For us, that's a really important change in mindset.
We don't want to greenwash travel.
We want to explain it.
✈️ So, what can we actually do?
There are lots of ways to make a holiday more considered.
And importantly, they don't all involve sacrificing the things you love about travel.
Sometimes it's about where you stay.
Sometimes it's how you get there.
Sometimes it's who you book with.
Sometimes it's about choosing experiences that put money into local communities.
And sometimes it's simply about making sure the incredible wildlife you've travelled halfway around the world to see is being treated with respect.
🚆 Sometimes the journey is part of the adventure
We've become accustomed to thinking that the quickest way to get somewhere is automatically the best way.
But what if the journey became part of the holiday?
Rail travel can offer a completely different way of seeing a destination - slower, more immersive and often taking you directly through landscapes you'd simply fly over.
Intrepid, for example, is currently working with fellow B Corp Byway on flight-free European itineraries. Intrepid cites an example of London-to-Venice travel where the rail journey has a significantly lower reported CO₂ footprint than flying on that particular route.
That's the kind of information we want to be able to talk about with clients.
Not "train travel is green".
But:
"For this particular journey, there is a rail alternative, and here is the evidence about the difference in reported emissions."
There's a big difference.
🐘 Wildlife: look, don't interfere
This is an area Kelly is particularly passionate about.
Wildlife holidays can be life-changing.
Seeing elephants in Africa.
Watching orangutans in Borneo.
Tracking gorillas in Uganda.
Spotting a leopard on safari.
Swimming alongside marine life.
But the question we should always ask is:
Is this experience good for the animal as well as good for us?
Responsible wildlife tourism can support conservation and local economies, but poorly managed tourism can disturb animals and damage habitats. Sustainable Travel International highlights both sides of that equation.
So our advice is simple.
DO:
See wildlife in its natural environment.
Keep a respectful distance.
Choose genuine conservation and rehabilitation projects.
Follow the advice of experienced guides.
Allow animals to behave naturally.
Support tourism that benefits local communities.
DON'T:
Ride wild animals for entertainment.
Hold or pose with wild animals.
Feed wildlife for photographs.
Walk with or handle big cats.
Support animal performances.
Encourage guides to get dangerously close for a better photograph.
And perhaps most importantly:
Don't assume that the word "sanctuary" automatically means responsible.
Ask questions.
Research.
And if something doesn't feel right, ask us.
🏨 Your hotel can make a difference too
This is where things get really interesting.
Two hotels can offer a very similar holiday experience but have very different approaches to environmental and social issues.
Take Iberostar as an example.
Its Wave of Change programme focuses on areas including reducing plastic, sustainable fishing and coastal health. Iberostar says it has eliminated single-use plastics in its operations and is working on emissions reduction, ecosystem restoration and community development.
And importantly, some individual properties have specific evidence behind their claims.
For example, Iberostar Waves Playa de Muro currently states that it uses 100% renewable electricity, has eliminated single-use plastics from rooms, has purified-water fountains and promotes responsible fish and seafood consumption. The hotel also holds an EarthCheck sustainability certification.
That's much more useful than simply saying:
"It's a sustainable hotel."
We can tell you what the hotel actually does.
And that's the direction we want to take our own travel advice.
🌱 More responsible doesn't mean less luxurious
This is perhaps the biggest misconception.
Responsible travel doesn't automatically mean:
❌ camping
❌ giving up luxury
❌ cold showers
❌ carrying your own toilet roll through the jungle 😂
❌ staying somewhere you don't want to stay
It can mean a luxury safari supporting conservation.
A beautiful hotel investing in renewable energy.
A resort working with local communities.
A rail journey through Europe.
A small-group adventure that uses local guides.
A wildlife experience where the animal is allowed to remain completely wild.
You don't necessarily have to compromise on the experience.
Sometimes you simply need to choose differently.
🌎 And this is where we come in
This is one of the reasons we believe the role of a travel consultant is changing.
We're not simply here to find you a hotel and book your flights.
We're here to understand what matters to you
Perhaps you want the lowest possible environmental impact.
Perhaps wildlife welfare is important to you.
Perhaps you'd like your holiday spending to benefit local communities.
Perhaps you simply want to make a few better choices where you can.
Or perhaps sustainability isn't a major consideration for you at all.
That's okay too.
Our job isn't to lecture you.
It's to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
💙 Travel better. Travel thoughtfully. Travel with us.
We're learning too.
We're asking more questions of our suppliers.
We're looking more closely at the evidence behind environmental claims.
We're learning which experiences genuinely benefit wildlife and communities.
And we're becoming more confident about having those conversations with our clients.
Because we don't think responsible travel should be about perfection.
It's about progress.
One booking.
One conversation.
One better choice at a time.
And if you're planning your next adventure and you'd like us to explore some more considered options alongside the experience, luxury and adventure you're looking for... come and talk to us.
That's exactly what we're here for. 💙
Planning your next adventure?
You don't need to know all the answers.
That's our job.
Tell us what matters to you - wildlife, people, place, comfort, adventure, luxury, or simply making a few better choices where you can.
We'll do the research, explain the options and help you find a holiday that's right for you.
Travel brilliantly. Travel thoughtfully. Travel with Aspire. 💙
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