Travel smartHotels that Help
With Check Out for Nature you and every guest staying at a Leading Hotel of the World have the opportunity to make a real difference for our planet.
Whether you go to the beaches of the Mediterranean or the pristine landscape of the Arctic, how you travel can have a huge impact on the environment.
* Make tourism and conservation compatible - the money you spend on your trip helps determine the development and direction of tourism. Use your money to support reputable,
conservation-minded tour operators and suppliers.
* Learn about the culture and customs of the areas you will visit before you go.
* Visit parks and nature reserves - visitor demand and tourist expenditures support existing protected areas and can lead to the protection of additional nature.
Get any necessary permits before visiting nature reserves or other protected areas. Leave these areas as you found them and do not disturb the wildlife there.
* View and photograph wildlife from a distance and remember that in the optimal wildlife viewing experience, the animal never knew you were there. Suppress
the natural temptation to move too close and respect signs of distress such as alarm calls, distraction displays, laid-back ears, and raised hair.
* Respect the environment, stay on trails during hikes, do not remove plants or feed animals, and never litter. At the sea do not take any corals, shells, dried fish,
starfish, sea-fans and other marine souvenirs - removal can seriously disrupt ecosystems. Navigation in reef water needs special care - do not anchor on reefs
which can be easily damaged.
* Reduce your air travel
When you travel to your holiday destination by plane you are contributing to significant emissions of climate change causing carbon dioxide. Take vacations nearer to home,
or get there by other forms of transport such as train, bus or boat. If you have to fly, consider buying carbon offsets to compensate for the emissions caused by your flight.
* Reduce your car use - choose other ways to get around like trains, buses or bikes. Share taxis and take shuttles to and from the airport. Check out tips on how you can save fuel,
money and help nature!
* Respect local culture, traditions and religious places. Insensitive behaviour such as taking photographs of people without their consent, or failure to observe local customs,
can cause offence.
* Conserve water - take showers rather than baths, and use a refillable water container, sterilising water when necessary, rather than buying bottled water.
* Limit energy use, including your use of air conditioning and hot water. Turn off all lights and taps when you leave hotel rooms.
* Minimise your use of personal care products and detergents to wash linen, and reuse your hotel towels and bed-linen. Dispose of sanitary waste properly.
Don't flush cotton buds, condoms, tampons and plastics down the toilet - or you might just find them on the beach next time you visit.
* Reduce the impact of your recreational activities by avoiding sports which have a significant harmful impact on the environment or choose more progressive
establishments (e.g golf courses which recycle water).
* Recycle newspapers, magazines and your beverage containers (many can be returned for refunds), and reduce the number of bags, napkins and disposable cups you use
when you eat fast food.
* Choose lodgings that have effective waste treatment systems, that recycle, that are energy efficient, and, where possible, that use environmentally friendly energy sources
such as solar energy or hydroelectric power.
* Respect rules and regulations, pay attention to signals and behave responsibly (e.g do not light fires where it is forbidden).
* Say "No" to Bad Souvenirs
Some souvenirs could end up costing a lot more than you paid for them.
Think twice before you buy any products made from any endangered species, including animal hides and body parts, tortoise-shell, ivory, or coral - they could be illegal.
Out shoppingShopping bag
Be demanding
If organic items or eco-labelled goods are not available from your local shops, ask for them.
Businesses do listen to their customers. We have the power to change the selection of products that are available to us. So make shop managers aware of your demand for eco-friendly products.
* Take your own bags to the shops to carry home your groceries and shopping.
* Look for products that have less packaging.
* Buy organically grown fruits, vegetables, cotton clothing, and hemp-fibre products.
* Don't buy bottled water if you know your tap water is safe - transporting water from its source to the supermarket shelves is an expensive waste of energy. And the plastic and glass bottles
add to the already-high mountains of rubbish that we produce. Find out from your municipality about your tap water. If you do buy bottled water, buy from a local source (read the labels) and
buy water that comes in recyclable glass or plastic.
* Choose biodegradable cleaning products so that the chemicals have fewer negative impacts on the soil and water system.
* Buy the most energy-efficient household appliances you can afford.
* Use recycled paper.
In the gardenCareful Lighting at Night
Artificial lighting at night can significantly disturb and endanger certain nocturnal animals - including birds, turtles and reptiles.
But by using different light fittings, turning some lights off, or lowering their brightness - you can help minimise the impact we humans have.
What you can do:
* Collect rainwater to water your flowers.
* Let part of your garden grow freely and see what wild flowers appear.
* Plant local species of trees.
* Never take plants or pick flowers from anywhere in the wild.
* Buy bulbs from cultivated stocks only (ask the shop or gardening centre for advice).
* Stop using chemical pesticides - try to use natural products instead.
* Try to attract birds to your garden as they eat aphids and other gardeners’ pests.
* Use traps, parasites, and natural predators such as ladybirds.
* Use plants that repel insects. Some herbs and flowers - including basil, chives, mint, marigolds, and chrysanthemums - mixed in with other plants, help keep pests away.
* Use disease-resistant and pest-resistant plants.
* Use Neem oil and mix it up with some garlic oil (which you can make it home) to spray on tree trunks and diseased plants and shrubs. This works like a charm on pests, bacteria and fungus.
* Remove the weeds by spraying them with something to adjust the pH (acidity) in the ground around them. Perhaps use some vinegar directly on the most stubborn ones.
* Use organic compost and mulch to improve soil health and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers.
* Don't use peat in your flower beds and vegetable gardens (peat is taken from ancient bog land, destroying some of our most precious wildlife areas). Instead, make your own compost with grass clippings and vegetable scraps from the house.
* Choose drought tolerant plants like Nepeta Six Hills Giant (Catmint). It looks like huge lavender flowers but uses very little water.
* Pick only drought or Xeriscape friendly grass seeds that don't require as much as water to maintain.
* Don't use electrical equipment like leaf-blowers as they consume so much energy for so little gain. Use a rake instead - it's better for your health too!
* Never pour antifreeze, oil or other chemicals on the ground, into storm sewers or down the drain. Take these toxic substances to your local waste disposal facility.
* Don't buy garden furniture or decking made of tropical hard wood - mahogany for example .
* Take time out to sit out in your backyard with friends and family, and appreciate the beauty of nature!
Continue...........
