Eco Con

It would seem that the word Ecotoursim is being brandished as a marketing tool more and more, instead of a genuine form of tourism. To find out more, check out this article by clicking here.

Carry on Responsibility

Check this link out to find out some useful hints and definitions about responsible travel. You can also check out our website for some more hints and holiday ideas by clicking here.

Responsible Ski Etiquette

As far as eco-holidaying goes, skiing doesn’t exactly spring to mind as the way forward. However, as popularity continues to grow for this adrenaline fuelled sport we found some pointers to show you how you can reduce your environmental impact if you do decide to take a ski holiday.

Train Up – Taking the train instead of flying can cut your carbon dioxide emissions to around a third. Check out these websites for more information about using the train to travel to various European destinations - www.raileurope.com and www.eurostar.com/ski (this one is specifically for the French Alps).

Check Green Credentials – We have printed some information about this in a previous blog, however there are also good guide books (Where to Ski and Snowboard) that can be good at identifying greener resorts. If you are travelling to the states they have a Sustainable Slopes campaign that various resorts are signed up to, so look out for those that are.

Study the piste map – Whilst you may not think that the piste you chose will have an environmental impact you’d be wrong. Those adrenaline fuelled slops that go straight from the top of the mountain to the bottom have the potential to be an ecological disaster, due to runoff and erosion. So, if you want ot be a responsible skier take longer S-bend shaped slopes that keep runoff from going straight downhill.

Keep yourself to yourself on the chairlift – Don’t be tempted to entertain yourself by smoking, calling friends or check your map. This may seem like a stupid idea but resorts that carry out end-of-season clean-up find all kinds of dropped litter under chairlift paths, so we think better to do all that at the top or the bottom when you have less chance of losing things.

Make enquiries – ask your ski firm what its environmental policy is and if it doesn’t have one, ask why.

We are yet to find a Travelroots ski holiday, but why not check out our guidelines for how to conduct other forms of responsible travel by clicking here.

More Say Yes to Responsible Travel

In a recent opinion poll done by Sustainable Travel International, it was found that 75% of adventure travellers said that ‘responsible travel practices play a key role when choosing a travel provider for their vacation’. They would be wiling to pay on average 10% more on their excursions if they were confident that the operators were using responsible practices that respect the ecology and diversity of the planet. The predominant age group who would be willing to pay increased prices fall into the 18-24 age category which is encouraging as it demonstrates that the new generations of travellers are supporters of responsible travel. If you think you have responsible travel aspirations check out our website by clicking here for a whole range of holidays to suit your holiday desires.