AAA Traveler - Winter 2021 - 17

The Transformation of

TRIP NOTES

Sustainable
Travel

ity

It's no secret that COVID-19 has
wreaked havoc on the travel
industry and temporarily tempered
people's wanderlust. Iconic
places, cities and countries have
taken a hit in their tourism
pocketbooks, but the pause also
has revealed what happens when
throngs of visitors stop coming.
Venice's notoriously cloudy canal
waters cleared and schools of fish
could be seen. Lions at Kruger
National Park in South Africa napped
freely along roads usually bustling
with safari vehicles. These lemonadeout-of-lemon moments and other
surprising tourism-related
observations during the pandemic
have spurred people to rethink how
they experience vacations. One
revelation: Sustainable travel should
become a priority as tourism rebuilds.
In its traditional understanding,
sustainable travel means leaving no
trace and emphasizing preservation of
place by offsetting your carbon
footprint, respecting the indigenous
culture, choosing eco-friendly

accommodations and transportation,
buying locally made goods and eating
locally sourced foods. Those steps and
actions seem even more pressing as
post-pandemic global and domestic
travel sets to launch. The world
experienced something desperate
together, and now travelers want to do
no harm in the places they long to visit.
Traveling sustainably enables to them
to do that.
Recently, offshoots of the original
definition have developed. Take
nanotourism, for example. This form of
sustainable tourism aligns with the
values of respecting cultural traditions
and engaging locally. You integrate into
the local community rather than simply
observing and consuming it. You
participate in local activities, such as
visiting Little Market in Zagreb to learn
about local foods and how to prepare
them. The term " regenerative travel "
was coined during COVID-19, and it
elevates the idea of " leave no trace " to
" leave the place better than you found
it. " As a regenerative traveler, the trips
you take are tied to actively improving
the destinations you visit. Your stay
might help protect a natural habitat or a

Jo
yc
e

portion of your purchase could get
reinvested in local health or education.
Leave a positive travel footprint by
keeping these points in mind:
Train travel usually is the most
sustainable mode of
transportation. Once you arrive, bike,
walk or take public transportation to
get around.

Ask your AAA Travel Agent to
identify eco-friendly
accommodations and activities that
are known to give back.

Center your vacation around
doing good or engaging locally.
Agritourism and volunteerism could
be good avenues to explore.

When choosing popular
destinations, consider visiting
during off-peak times of the year, an
act that helps diminish crowds.

Pack lightly and choose ecofriendly, biodegradable toiletries,
including sunscreen.

Your AAA Travel Agent can provide more tips on traveling sustainably. Call 800-750-5386 or visit
AAA.com/Travel.
TRAVELER WINTER 2021

http://www.AAA.com/Travel

AAA Traveler - Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAA Traveler - Winter 2021