Budget-Friendly Sustainable Travel is Possible

sunset and tent

What comes to mind when one thinks of sustainable travel? Gorilla trekking in Uganda, possibly, or a sojourn at a distant yet well-appointed eco-lodge in the forests of Costa Rica, or even a luxury stay at a Galápagos safari camp with an infinity pool and locally made teak furniture. If these high-cost excursions are what pop in your mind, your image of what qualifies as sustainable tourism isn’t necessarily wrong – it is just incomplete. The term sustainable travel has been connected to opulent eco-travel. Fuelled by a desire for guiltless extravagance and increasing attention paid to climate change, sustainability became a misused, industrywide buzzword associated with far-flung, expensive trips.

But sustainable tourism does not have to be costly. Not just that, it should really be more economical. Kelly Bricker, vice-chair of the board of directors of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, or G.S.T.C., claimed that there should be cost savings for doing the proper thing. If you are drifting locally, reinvesting back into the community, it ought to be cheaper than if you are importing from all around the world to make your goods. Not only should travel sustainably not break the bank – it is often a better, more pleasing product compared to its nonsustainable counterpart. I have compiled a few tips from experts, as well as in my own experiences, and have discovered that sustainable journey is something almost all casual tourists can manage.

While there are not definitive statistics on the proportion of the hospitality sector devoting a continuing commitment to sustainable travel, especially restaurants and stalls not investing in quality appliances to avoid frequent, wasteful oven and fridge repair services, there are signs that it’s on the rise. Research indicates that 65 percent of travellers wish to seek out green lodging in 2017 – almost double that of the prior year. And a study conducted by McGraw Hill Construction proves that green construction increased by 50 percent from 2011 to 2013, and now encompasses 25 percent of all hospitality construction.

And that impacts an increasingly huge number of travellers. Almost 1.2 billion people travelled the world in 2015, generating $1.5 trillion – a full 10 percent of international G.D.P.. That amount – and the massive environmental impact that accompanies it – is part of the reason 2017 has been designated the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development from the United Nations. Both destinations and travellers are increasingly acknowledging the effects of sustainable travel. We’re at a crucial crossroads, according to Dirk Glaesser, the manager of sustainable development of tourism to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. We now see lots of countries taking this quite seriously.

Tourism, even though a global economic driver, also leaves an enormous environmental footprint. By some measure it accounts for a total 50 percent of all traffic moves, according to the U.N. Environment Program, and local culture could be strained by a lot of tourists crowding a particularly beautiful location – a concept called overtourism. With a fast growing tourist base (1.6 billion people by 2020), the demand for a sustainable strategy grows increasingly more urgent.

The first challenge facing travellers is defining what sustainable travel really is – and distinguishing it from the many kinds of journey that advocates and entrepreneurs have attempted to tag as sustainable. When folks consider sustainable tourism, they consider little eco-huts instead of engineered timbers and frames, says David Picard, a former professor of anthropology of tourism in the University of Lausanne and a writer of a Unesco research on sustainable development. Eco-tourism rings a bell – Costa Rica, luxurious safari lodges in East Africa. But that’s only a very small element. While those companies certainly have their place, he said, a little lodge built at a remote location is not likely to have a substantial effect on national and local development.

You don’t create sufficient jobs or income. You do not create enough capacity. Ironically, what we recommend is work with AccorHotels since they have a massive professional capacity. They will train an entire resort – 300 or 500 people – and what they saw is that these employees, as soon as they’re trained, is that they’ll begin opening smaller resorts and are employed in larger hotel chains that need in-house tradies in air conditioning installation and maintenance or electrical services. That large-scale paying forward of both ability and financial viability is crucial, Mr. Picard said. That is the definition of sustainability – it is preserving resources for future generations. (He added that he would endorse any resort which has a Green Globe certification.)

As the notion of sustainable travel is now more mainstream, so has the idea that it suggests a degree of distress – but that shouldn’t be true. It is not drinking water from a vine, holding a machete and getting bitten by bugs under poorly structured architectural timbers and products, said Geoff Bolan, chief executive of Sustainable Travel International. What it does mean, he explained, is only exploring the character and culture of a place.

Not all travellers buy into the concept that they need to be worried about sustainability either. That’s the reason advocates have concentrated on getting large companies on board – they could alter the schedule.

Best Places to Travel for Shoe Shopping

shoe store

Some people like to unwind to a white sandy beach with the waves at their feet, while others prefer to trek hills and explore the wilderness, however, sometimes our thought of the ideal vacation is somewhere we could shop. The planet’s most beautiful stores are home to more than just fashion: many of the world’s best retailers are just as famous for their interior design components. And the best part about shopping overseas is finding these unique and one-piece bits no one else will possess back home. 

Singapore 

This is the city-state where shopping is considered a national hobby. There are over 300 shops, all under the one roof including luxury duplexes for boutiques like Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Cartier, and Prada. 

In case you still have more buying power, you have to visit Singapore’s monster mall, ION Orchard, even if it is just for the building’s structure. Its incredibly futuristic look is a photographer’s dream. Costing about $1.5 billion to build, the ION Orchard spans across eight retail floors, including another 48 residential floors on top of that, with over 333 shops of high-fashion manufacturers and gourmet dining. If you are planning a trip, be sure to reserve it during the Great Singapore Sale, Singapore’s largest sale of the year where you can pick up some great bargains on mens and womens shoes. 

Stockholm 

Home to a few of our favourite brands, Acne- plus a number of the world’s most trendy bloggers (Zanita and Look de Pernille), Stockholm is high up on our list. And if you need further evidence of the city’s global fashion ranking, it even includes its own fashion week. But apart from its trendy setting and individuals, we love the al fresco element of Stockholm’s shopping experience.  

Tokyo 

Tokyo is unquestionably on many people’s shopping bucket checklist. This high heeled city is famous for its unique mix of interesting designer shops, huge shopping malls, and offbeat style boutiques in the favorite Shinjuku neighbourhood. 

If you’re more of a mall shopper, you will enjoy KITTE. Located directly in front of Tokyo station, the six-level atrium construction includes a unique wedge-shaped inside with an outside garden on the top floor. We love the architecture, but with over 100 restaurants and boutiques devoted to Japanese cuisine and aesthetics, the storefronts are the attraction for us. It’s also linked to the underground tube, so tourists can get to and from the building easily. 

For vintage fans, the New York Joe Exchange is a super-fun treasure trove exploding with contemporary secondhand clothing, even finding a funky pair of womens sneakers. You can purchase, sell, and trade. 

A trip to Tokyo isn’t complete without a trip to the wealthy Ginza shopping district. Imagine super-high-end boutiques and shiny department stores, including the avant-garde Dover Street Market Ginza. Famous Comme des Garçons designer Kawakubo Rei has been the creative director behind this phenomenal building which includes seven floors of Japanese style and art installations throughout, making it a must-visit destination. 

Move even higher up the designer tree with a visit to Istean. This is without a doubt among the most lavish department stores in Tokyo, if not the world. Each of the designers reside there: Chloe, Fendi, Chanel, and more. Even in the event that you don’t purchase anything (which we’d find difficult to believe), the experience of shopping in Tokyo is worth the trip alone. 

Milan 

As host to one of the greatest fashion shows in the world, the Milanese live and breathe style. If luxury designers are your thing, you’ve come to the right place. Each of the world-famous Italian designers are all here, from Versace to Armani to Missoni. 

Quality design is anywhere in Milan: A stroll down the quiet side roads will alert you to some of the greatest ateliers making handmade leather shoes and world-class artisanal pieces. Just walking the roads is a feast for the eyes: everyone is impeccably dressed and über-chic. 

For the expansive mall experience, head to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world’s oldest shopping malls that is home to most of the major design houses, such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, where picking up a pair of formal shoes would not be a problem. 

Dubai 

There is, in fac,t no other shopping destination quite like Dubai. It is home to one of the world’s biggest shopping malls, the Dubai Mall, that has over 1,200 stores. To conquer purchasing fatigue, you can let the staff at the mall’s in-house hotel bring you back to life. Or perhaps a fast trip to the world’s largest candy store, Candylicious, will do just fine. But if your toes are still willing and capable of more, strut on up to the largest shoe store in the world, Level Shoe District, which sells 600 pairs of shoes each day.  This is shoe enthusiast’s paradise, with 96,000 square feet of footwear and 300 brands to choose from, such as 40 stand-alone designer boutiques. 

Paris 

We surely couldn’t compile the world’s best shopping list without including among the most stylish cities in the world: Paris. 

With downright charming department stores like the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, this is a city that you want to get lost in. While the shopping at Printemps is like something out of a fantasy, be prepared for a sensory explosion once you visit the sixth-floor brasserie. Have a seat on one of the famed Philipe Starck Lucite Ghost chairs and enjoy the light show from the magnificent stained-glass dome that reflects onto the mirrored tables under. 

For something a little more casual, but not enchanting, take a stroll down to the historic quarter Le Marais, prime stomping ground for fans of those one-of-a-kind and unique pieces, antiques, and art. A shopping trip to Paris would not be complete without a visit to the hottest and most popular fashion sectors: the Avenue Montaigne, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, and the Saint Honouré with all of the flagship designer boutiques. 

Travelling around the world for a great pair of shoes is an excellent way to find unique buys, however, you can always buy shoes online from these international boutiques and feel part of the international market, all form the comfort of your home.