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Where to research and book eco-friendly travel
There is no denying that eco friendly travel is "in". As more and more travelers become aware of their own carbon footprint, many of us are also becoming more active in reducing our impact.
This could be as simple as paying a little extra for a green certified hotel, or paying to offset the emissions from a flight. The Internet is full of fantastic resources for anyone looking to research and/or book an eco friendly trip. We've listed a couple of these resources here:
Gadling - We'll start with ourselves - we've covered eco tourism for years, and in our archives, you'll find 100's of great articles on green travel.
Expedia - Expedia has an entire section of their site devoted to going green. They provide a list of green hotels, tips on reducing your carbon footprint and a special booking tool for finding hybrid rental cars.
Orbitz - The Orbitz Eco-Tourism site is one of the most comprehensive of all the travel booking sites. Their section offers everything from carbon offset purchases to a list of EPA Energy Star rated hotels. These hotels use at least 40% less electricity. The site also links to hybrid rentals, and even explains how you can volunteer to clean up a national park, or help protect the ocean.
Travelocity - The Travelocity Green Directory is another great initiative. On this guide, you'll find links to green hotels, eco-friendly partners and a focus on green destinations. Their green hotel list is compiled through information from the EPA's Energy Star, the Rainforest Alliance and Green Key.
EcoTravelLogue - EcoTravelLogue is a member of the Bootsnall network. This site does not appear to be updated very regularly, but it contains a huge amount of eco-friendly travel resources.
The Travel Channel - The Travel Channel Eco-Friendly resources are still quite limited - and only cover a limited number of eco-friendly resorts and hotels. The site links to most of the eco related content covered by the Travel Channel.
Manaca - Manaca is a travel agency that specializes in eco friendly trips. They sell trips to eco lodges, and complete eco friendly packages all around the world.
SustainableTravel - Sustainable Travel International is an organization supported by many of the major travel companies in the world. Behind this organization are airlines like Continental and United, a cruise line, a car rental company and various hotel chains. Their site offers a huge amount of information on eco-travel, as well as a searchable directory of eco-friendly providers.
Got a good eco-friendly travel site you'd like to mention? Leave it in the comments section below!
Filed under: Ecotourism, Internet Tools
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alison @ The Window Seat Oct 15th 2009 1:24PM
Thanks for the mention of Travelocity's Green Hotel Directory. In fact, we are the only OTA that flags green hotels site-wide, making it very easy to book a green hotel.
And great tips on going green!
Abby from the Rainforest Alliance Oct 15th 2009 2:18PM
Another great website for sustainable travel options in Latin America is the Rainforest Alliance's Eco-Index. www.eco-indextourism.org. All of those programs are working with the Rainforest Alliance on their sustainability initiatives.
Brian Hoyt (Orbitz) Oct 15th 2009 2:59PM
Great article -- thanks for mentioning that Orbitz has one of the most comprehensive approaches to an eco-tourism site online amongst all the online travel brands. Visit http://eco.orbitz.com today! Buy a carbon offset via our partners at Carbonfund.org. Rent a hybrid car! Book an Energy Star hotel! Travel green, people!
Brandon Meyers Oct 15th 2009 5:12PM
I agree with Brian, Orbitz has put a lot of pride in being a green company and the eco-tourism page is just one example of that.
Tyler Oct 15th 2009 4:47PM
This post is great. I'm happy to see some of the big players in the industry doing their part and providing some eco-friendly/green options for travelers. I think more and more this is going to be the majority of travelers and not the minority. NileGuide also put together a list of destinations and guides throughout the world where you can travel, enjoy the culture, and keep the environment healthy. Check it out: http://www.nileguide.com/theme/green-travel-5
Dana Oct 15th 2009 6:37PM
For those looking for less corporate online travel info, Eco Positive Travel posts rate specials at green vacation rentals in the US, including Florida and Arizona Check it out at http://ecoluxuryliving.blogspot.com/
Linda Oct 15th 2009 11:59PM
Part of eco-friendly travel is supporting local cultures and making a positive impact on the places we visit which can include giving back to the community we're traveling to through travel philanthropy or volunteer travel. Travelanthropist (http://travelanthropist.com) is a travel site with great information on topics related to responsible travel -- covering news, issues and trends. A good resource is the Organizations Directory which lists full-service travel companies and local grassroot organizations from around the world that you can join to give back to the local community.
Len Cordiner Oct 16th 2009 11:23PM
Hi, we are a global grassroots owned travel booking site (www.whl.travel) which has lots of eco (sustainable) travel product online. Our focus however is very much the developing world / emerging economies.
Raymond Oct 16th 2009 1:01PM
Great article,
When talking about sustainable tourism, please check out http://www.whl.travel/.
With using one of their carefully selected local connections in every destination, more than 200 over the whole world, you support the local economy straight away.
simon r Nov 30th 2009 12:12PM
Hi just read the article, i have come across a site which offers hotels and advice on uk hotels, the emphasis seems to be on green hotels http://www.clearskyhotels.co.uk/