Too often, the word "green" is associated solely with environmental actions, such as using renewable energy, reducing waste, and cleaning up our beaches. While these are undeniably important for a healthy Earth, The Green Globetrotter believes they are only one piece of the puzzle.  To truly be green, we must consider the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit*.

So, what does that mean?  Rather than add to the already-saturated list of definitions out there, we‘ll use one from Lonely Planet:

• People: travel that respects culture and traditions, fostering authentic interaction and greater understanding between travelers and hosts.

 

• Planet: travel that minimizes negative environmental impacts and, where possible, makes positive contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, wilderness, natural and human heritage.

 

• Profit: travel that has financial benefits for the host community and operates on the principles of fair trade.
  

 *Other websites may use different terms, but the general idea is the same.

That being said, The Green Globetrotter uses this triple bottom line as a foundation for choosing how we travel, where we stay, and what we do once we are there.  Not only does it gives us a lower score on the carbon calculator, but it also provides us with a more authentic and rewarding experience, ensuring that the places we love to visit are there for years to come.

So, now that you’ve got an idea of what it means to travel green, discover how to put your newfound knowledge into action on our Green Travel Tips page.

 

A brief note on greenwashing

First and foremost, we must state that The Green Globetrotter is very much anti-greenwashing (for those of you new to the green movement - check out this explanation at Sustainability Dictionary), and we will not recommend any hotel, restaurant, tour, etc. that we feel is promoting such an agenda.  All places and activities included on this website have been personally visited by us and fall in line with The Green Globetrotter‘s standards.  However, we do understand that making changes and truly going green can take time, and we take that into consideration when writing all of our reviews.

 

Images: Francesco Marino and Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net