Introducing SustainableTrip.org -- One Step Better Than Reusing Your Hotel Towels.

How much energy are we conserving when we reuse our hotel towels? Sure it's a good thing, but the cynic inside many of us says this small effort does more for the bottom line of the hotel than it does for the environment.

If we really want to make a difference while we travel, we need to make better, more informed choices. Real sustainable travel is about more than reusing towels, turning off lights and hotel recycling programs. These days, it has to be.

Today we can travel wisely and consciously and support businesses that are committed to sustainability, without sacrificing quality or luxury.

The Rainforest Alliance has just launched SustainableTrip.org, a global database of hotels, lodges, B&Bs and resort accommodations that are committed to sustainability. The businesses that are listed are verified by the Rainforest Alliance. This means they have had to prove that they are committed to protecting local wildlife, or they support staff training and education programs, or that they are implementing technologies that help save energy, or of course, all of the above.

The new site shows some of what you would expect: canopy level eco lodges tucked into Costa Rican cloud forests, and bungalows in Belize. But, they also have larger resorts in Aruba, Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, places you might not think to associate with sustainability.

Travel, especially for a vacation, is a leisure activity. It's a time to escape some of our daily responsibilities, but by making a choice to support a hotel or resort that's committed to sustainability, we're doing more than taking a break from life, we're helping to sustain it.

 

Follow James Boyce on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamesboyce

Comments

[Thurston Howler III]

12:37 PM on 10/05/2010

I love that last line, "we're doing more than taking a break from life, we're helping to sustain it." That is the idea behind Amble Resorts, a new sustainable development company building residences and boutique hotels that are sustainable. It's more than just preaching sustainability, but sharing unique places, like island property Isla Palenque, so that other people want to sustain it as well. Thanks for introducing this site.

[TravelOffRadar]

11:42 AM on 09/27/2010

Very, very interesting. It's good to hear that there is a type of accountability and third party that is unbiased in its evaluation as they certify and advocate for sustainable lodging options and operators.

There is actually an excellent project going on, La Confluencia, in El Bolson in Southwestern Argentina that is completely committed to their philosophy of sustainability and self-sufficiency. The whole property was built as a model for sustainable development.

La Confluencia was developed by the Land Ethic Action Foundation as a teaching and demonstration center for sustainable self-sufficient living. Today, the project consists of a lodge nestled in a small, fertile valley at the foot of the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains. Located within the Rio Azul Protected Natural Area (approximately 150,000 acres), La Confluencia is surrounded by old-growth forests, alpine meadows, and rivers and lakes where you can fill up your waterbottles and drink the clear water.

So many activities, definitely worth checking out.

http://www.laconfluencia.com/ingles/ubicacionInstalaciones.html