Many people have a negative image of environmentally friendly travel, imagining uncomfortable situations. The reality is that sustainable choices often increase our comfort and overall experience while traveling. For example, when heading to the beach, choosing a certified resort, packing a few key items, and booking responsible activities can make you feel even better on your break.
A recent Sustainability Travel Report from Booking.com shows that 76% of global travelers plan to travel more sustainably in 2023, but it doesn’t happen because they don’t realize how easy it is. Here’s how to ensure that your beach break is as luxurious as ever, all while giving back to the coast.
Pick Accommodation With Real Certifications, Not Green Marketing
Almost every hotel will claim to be “eco-friendly” somewhere on its web page. The trick is to look for third-party certifications with teeth: Green Key, LEED, and EarthCheck all perform rigorous audits of water, energy, waste, and staff habits before rubber-stamping a property.
The thing most people don’t know: some of the highest-rated properties are also the most sumptuous. A luxury property has a five-star budget to spend on solar arrays, greywater recycling, and efficient cooling. A five-star beachfront resort with a Green Key badge is good evidence that you never actually had to trade the environment for luxury, the two can easily go hand in hand.
When price-shopping between properties, Google the certification. Most provide a directory of every property they’ve certified on their web site.
Choose Destinations That Protect What Draws You There
Over-tourism strains fragile coastal ecosystems fast: crowded beaches, damaged reefs, wildlife pushed out of nesting grounds. Destinations with active marine conservation programs tend to offer a better trip, not just a cleaner conscience. Fewer crowds, healthier reefs, and better-managed wildlife encounters.
Look for beaches with Blue Flag certification, an internationally recognized standard covering water quality, safety, and environmental management. And when you book wildlife experiences, go through licensed operators who follow strict viewing guidelines: safe distances, no flash photography, no touching or feeding.
This matters most with nesting species. Guided nature excursions let families observe hawksbill turtles and other protected wildlife in their natural habitat without disturbing nesting sites or hatchlings. A knowledgeable guide will time the visit, keep the group at a respectful distance, and explain what’s actually happening biologically. That’s a far better experience than stumbling onto a nesting site alone and not knowing whether you’re helping or hurting.
Swap Single-Use Plastics For Gear You’ll Actually Want to Use
The most effective change you can make for a beach trip has nothing to do with where you stay, it’s what you pack. Beach destinations are responsible for gargantuan piles of single-use plastic waste, from water bottles, straws, and takeout containers to countless old sunscreen tubes, and when all this washes out to sea it breaks down into microplastics that can end up in your seafood or sea salt.
So define a new normal with a sturdy, leakproof, insulated, and above all endlessly refillable water bottle. Even the ice in one of these things will still be solid 24 hours later, so you’re not even sacrificing that refreshing ice-cold swig. Collapsible totes are a godsend for carrying your stuff to the beach, as well as any unexpectedly large market hauls you may come across. And keep a set of travel utensils handy for takeout meals on the go.
Sunscreen deserves its own line item. Standard chemical sunscreens contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, compounds linked to coral bleaching and reef damage. Reef-safe mineral formulas using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide protect your skin without leaching chemicals into the water you’re swimming in. Several destinations have banned the old formulas outright, so check before you fly, the last thing you want is a sunscreen confiscated at customs.
Cut Transport Emissions Without Cutting the Trip Short
Air travel comprises the highest amount of carbon emission for vacation trips and unfortunately, there is no alternative that is completely eco-friendly. However, there are a few ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Try to book a direct flight; layovers require additional fuel for taking off and landing, which can be completely avoided with a nonstop flight. For the emissions you are responsible for, carbon offset programs contribute to forest revitalization or renewable energy initiatives that can offset either all or part of your trip emissions.
After arriving at your destination, avoid renting a car if you don’t need to. Many coastal towns are pedestrian and bike-friendly, and it also allows you to experience the place more intimately.
Spend Like a Local, Not Like a Tourist
Where you spend your money is important, just like how you earn it. When you support independent restaurants, family-owned stores, and community-operated tours, your tourism dollars stay within the local community rather than being sent to remote shareholders. Many community-based tourism programs use their profits to fund conservation efforts and improve local infrastructure, meaning the money you spend on a delicious meal is helping to pay for the same clean-up and preservation efforts that allow you to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
So, instead of hopping over to the conveniently located chain restaurant, ask your hotel concierge for a recommendation from a local owner. The food is usually even more delicious anyway.
But you don’t have to give up comfort to give back. A carefully chosen resort, some well-packed reusable gear, and a little bit of online research into the organizations that are actively working to protect the beach and ocean you’re about to enjoy, that’s the entire plan. The comfort wasn’t what you had to sacrifice. It was just your ignorance of where that comfort comes from.
