All travellers have a moral imperative to support the planet and travel sustainably. Sustainable travel ensures that the nature and places we visit will be here for generation to come. It is estimated that fewer than 20% of the earth’s population are privileged enough to fly on an airplane yet this 20% products 2.5% to 3.5% of the world’s carbon emissions (Our World in Data). This seems like a small amount but given that international tourism is an optional, leisure activity, the moral imperative is on us, as travellers, to reduce our carbon emission and travel more sustainably. These emissions are totally unnecessary and avoidable. Therefore, what is sustainable travel?

“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

United Nations World Tourism Organization

The UN World Tourism Organization separates sustainable travel into three areas: economic impact, social impact, and environmental impact.

How we help

“For every visa you buy, we plant a tree.”

That’s why we’re proud to announce that, for every visa we sell, we will plan a tree in the Amazon. Every hour of flight time generates anywhere between 150 to 350 kg of CO2 per hour (CarbonIndependent.org). One tree can remove 22 kg of CO2 per year (European Environmental Agency). Obviously, buying a visa for your next trip won’t offset the CO2 generated by your flight, but this is a step in the right direction, and one that’s encouraged by the UNWTO.

Friends

https://sustainabletravel.org

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-travel-sustainably