Green Honeymoon Planning: How To Minimize Your Carbon Footprint

The honeymoon is an important part of your wedding: it’s the perfect time to experience something new with your partner, spending quality time together in your first days as husband and wife. However, there are a few ways in which you can do some green honeymoon planning to help minimize its environmental impact, without compromising your dream honeymoon.

Staying At Home

Avoiding travel altogether is simply the best way to avoid a carbon footprint after your big day. There may be a wealth of undiscovered locations almost on your doorstep, and traveling by train is the perfect eco friendly way to see them. However, it’s understandable that you might not want to give up a trip abroad. If this is the case then simply follow a few more of the green honeymoon planning suggestions below.

What is EcoTourism?

You might have heard of “ecotourism” before, and the “ecotourist” label is now used to represent those who want to travel but wish to do so in a way that causes as little impact on the environment as possible.

In fact, ecotourism is the fastest growing market in the tourism industry according to the World Tourism Organization, and this is good for you because many hotels and resorts are now incorporating eco friendly practices into their business.

Image via Wikipedia

The Many Elements Of Green Honeymoon Planning

Green honeymoon planning must take into account a number of factors – probably more than you realize. There are more things to consider than simply how to get there (which should not be by plane if at all possible), including:

* Where you’re going to go (it doesn’t have to be the countryside, you could also choose a “green” city),

* Where you will eat when you are away,

* What you will eat (avoiding e.g. imported foods or endangered fish will reduce your impact),

* Where you are going to stay (there is more and more eco accommodation popping up all around the world),

* How you are going to travel once you are there,

* Where you’re going to shop (hint: shop local),

* The travel agent you will use to book the honeymoon,

* The method you will use to get to your destination,

* Little things, such as not having your sheets washed every day, can make a big difference,

* Whether you are going to offset your carbon emissions when you travel,

* Whether you’re going to do any local volunteer work when you’re there (try WWOOFing – working on organic farms – and other schemes that benefit the local area).

Booking Your Honeymoon

When you book your honeymoon, you can make things a lot easier by using an eco conscious travel agent who understands your needs. They can help you book a package that will minimize the impact you have on the environment.

However, you always need to remember that many businesses claim to be green simply as a marketing tactic, so it’s up to you to do your research to ensure that they really do live up to their promises.

Carbon Offsets

You’ll find that many organizations are offering a way to offset your carbon emissions by making donations that will help to give back to the environment. However, it’s important to realize that this is a last resort, and many critics claim that offsetting your carbon can never completely make up for the emissions you will create as part of your travels.

In fact, it has been shown that some companies may overstate the benefits of offsets, which is another method of greenwashing. Certain projects, such as renewable energy projects, could be worth more than others, so choose your cause carefully – and remember to avoid generating the carbon as much as possible beforehand.

Although this article has only covered the basics of green honeymoon planning, I hope it’s given you some insight into the many areas in which you can consider your impact during your honeymoon. Being green doesn’t have to mean a honeymoon that’s any less enjoyable. On the contrary, you’ll be able to relax knowing you’re doing what you can to minimize emissions and boost the local area.

No related posts.