Become a sustainable tourist!

Traveling provides many advantages: it allows you to explore new places, learn about different lifestyles, soak up new cultures, admire landscapes and enjoy unique experiences. In short, visiting new destinations is a very enriching experience. However, it is important to keep in mind that every trip entails an environmental impact. Here are some recommendations to take care of the environment during your next vacation… thus being able to enjoy the natural wonders of Mexico for many years to come.

• When planning your trip, chose hotels concerned about taking care of the natural environment. Today, there is a wealth of ecological cabins, especially in villages and little urbanized beaches. Also, many hotels belonging to hotel chains, have taken steps to reduce pollution, such as using solar energy to heat their swimming pools.
• Until recently, hotels had their towels and sheets washed very day. Today, most of them leave the decision up to their guests. If your towels don’t need to be washed, pick them up off the floor and place them on a shelf.
• Get out of the hotel! Explore the destination you are visiting: visit natural reserves and neighboring communities, learn what is being done to protect the biodiversity.
• Being a sustainable tourist also includes promoting the development of local communities. Plan to go shopping one afternoon and purchase handicrafts.
• Find new gastronomic experiences: visit a food market and enjoy traditional dishes prepared with local ingredients.
• If you go to the beach, or a river, a lake or a waterfall, be sure to use biodegradable sunscreen.
• Purchase carbon certificates, which help to offset your CO2 emissions during your trip. You can purchase them through an NGO (one of them is AMBIO) committed to reduce pollution through reforestation or the development of new technologies.