Can conservation and travel mix?

When you think about travel, you are likely just thinking about how much fun you are going to have visiting a place you've never been before or enjoying time you will be spending with friends and family.  Here's something else to consider:  The ability for future travelers to have that same experience. 

Do you realize that if we don't start focusing on sustainability--which is essentially keeping things the same and not allowing them to deteriorate further--your travel experiences will be directly affected and start to suffer?  You may have already noticed this in the form of increasing crowds at all times of year, when there used to be more "off peak" times to travel. 

You may have heard of regenerative agriculture that builds up the soil and restores nutrients.  Similar things are happening in the travel industry.  There are resorts and tour operators making sure that your vacations help to prevent further deterioration of nature, communities, and economies by encouraging and instituting as part of their business certain practices that will improve the land, working conditions, pay, build community, reduce trash, make the business carbon negative, etc.  

Another aspect that is not often talked about in a travel context is conservation.  Conservation seeks to preserve and restore environments.  Conservation works hand in hand with regenerative practices.  It often involves public-private partnerships and reintroduction of native species when invasives have taken over.  These measures are labor intensive and expensive.  Tourist businesses that are more well funded could undertake more regenerative/restorative/sustainable practices as mitigation for the destruction wrought on our environment by prior generations.  Some resorts even charge a conservation fee to help fund their endeavors.

You can often find educational aspects, such as guided discovery tours, with scientists or those actively involved in the conservation and see the good that choosing to stay with those travel partners can support.  Sometimes, it takes trial and error for those doing conservation work to hit on the right combination of plantings, activities, etc. before it starts to work.  That's why it is so important for all of us to consider choosing properties that at the very least engage in sustainable practices.  Once you try it, you are guaranteed to want to see what else is going on in the world of travel and tourism to help keep our earth and all the creatures on it thriving.  

If you're ready to discuss your next (or first!) sustainable travel journey, please reach out for a no-obligation consultation to see if working together is a good fit.  You can email me at caryn@balancedexplorations