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Top eco-friendly destinations for your next trip
|Tourism can feel like a loaded topic these days, and many travellers are taking a more considered approach to their vacation plans. The desire is there to align sustainability values with travel choices, but even with the best intentions, it isn’t always straightforward to put into practice. Cutting through the noise, with seemingly endless choice and little recognised regulation within the tourism industry, can be overwhelming. Here at TravelLocal, we endeavour to shine a light on eco-friendly destinations for your next trip, encompassing experiences that both benefit local communities and help to support the environment.
In this article, we take a look at top eco-tourism destinations around the world. These are all future-facing cities and countries carefully considering their sustainable development and making positive progress. If you’re looking for eco-conscious travel inspiration, contemplate one of these green destination trailblazers for your next trip.
Valencia, Spain: an aspirational green capital
Named European Green Capital for 2024, Valencia has been recognised by the European Commission for its commitment to forward-thinking environmental initiatives. The city is regarded as one of the best places to live in Spain, with a human-centred approach to development emphasising the importance of green spaces, the environment, and sustainable mobility.
This translates into plenty of parks where residents and visitors can relax in nature, and a well-used network of bike paths with affordable bike rentals available to traverse the city and its surroundings. Included in these green spaces is the circle of huertas, or market gardens, that surround Valencia and supply its markets and restaurants with fresh, hyper-local produce.
Norway: a clean travel pioneer
Befitting of this ordered Scandinavian nation, Norway has developed an extensive sustainable tourism labelling system. Ten main principles combine to support the conservation of nature, culture, the environment, quality of life, and community. The central tenant is that by making a destination a great place to live, it naturally becomes an inspiring place to visit. Many destinations and hotels across the country are either Norwegian Ecotourism-certified, or working towards it, including 94% of Oslo’s hotels.
As part of their multi-pronged approach, Norway has looked to greening and cleaning its cities. Oslo and Bergen have admirable clean air credentials with public and tourist buses, taxis, hire cars and fjord-cruising boats running on electric or bio-mass fuel. In Oslo you can rent bikes, kayaks or electric bikes to explore the city and train travel across the country is efficient and environmentally sound, not to mention dazzlingly beautiful.
Rwanda: Africa’s standout sustainable wildlife destination
Still recovering from a traumatic past, Rwanda is looking to the future and taking multiple positive steps in conservation, improving quality of life for its people and protecting the environment. One bold move is an all-out ban on single-use plastic bags, to the extent that they will be confiscated at the airport if you arrive with one.
Tourism in Rwanda centres around its wildlife and there is a strong framework in place to safeguard it. As one of the only places to observe mountain gorillas in the wild, protecting them is paramount. This is done by strictly limiting tracking permits and educating and empowering local communities to be part of the wildlife tourism industry. In addition to seeing gorillas, wildlife enthusiasts can track chimpanzees, observe one of the continent’s highest concentrations of birdlife, and spot the Big Five in the Akagera National Park.
Montreal, Canada: North America’s most eco-conscious city
Consistently recognised for its eco-conscious credentials, Canada‘s Montreal ranked first in North America in the Global Destination Sustainability Index for 2023. The city encourages visitors to live as locals do, taking public transport, making good use of car-free zones, enjoying its many green spaces, and choosing sustainable local businesses to patronage and support. As well as numerous parks, there’s a huge nature and science museum complex and a stylish range of eco-friendly certified hotels and restaurants.
Helsinki, Finland: an inclusive city with a carbon-neutral future
At the heart of the Finnish capital’s green credentials is its commitment to achieving carbon-neutral status by 2035. This goal, along with the city’s tourism plans and manifesto, has been mapped out with full public support and co-creation. Development here is firmly tied to the wishes of local residents and small businesses. This inclusive approach to planning means that nearly everyone is on board to make the city a shining example among eco-friendly travel destinations.
New Zealand: a long-standing eco-friendly destination continuing the work
New Zealand’s unique natural landscapes and culture have been enticing visitors for years and the tourism tagline – 100% Pure New Zealand – has been a successful one. Travellers come to experience pristine wild landscapes and connect with the great outdoors. So, it follows that it has emerged as one of the world’s top eco-tourism destinations.
The New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment aims to bring all tourism businesses in the country on board by 2025. Every player in the industry must work towards 12 sustainability principles incorporating the environment, community, hospitality and economic resilience. As with many accreditation systems, there may be some element of greenwashing in the mix, but the vast majority of NZ tourism businesses are genuinely, and enthusiastically, on board.
Costa Rica: a shining light for wildlife tourism done right
Costa Rica has become synonymous with eco-tourism and a shining example of forward-thinking environmental planning and protection. Blessed with Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, tropical rainforest, cloud forest and incredible biodiversity, Costa Rica has created an expansive network of national parks. Over 25% of its landmass is protected and around a third of its electricity is delivered by hydropower. This tiny Central American country has long set an example for developing sustainable tourism destinations, and is a real beacon of success in the region.
Zurich, Switzerland: a template for the city of the future
It won’t be surprising that Switzerland‘s Zurich scores high on the quality-of-life index. Clean living and citizen well-being are part of the city’s DNA with plenty of green spaces, a high-functioning recycling system, pure water drinking fountains, efficient public transport, and a network of leafy cycle routes.
There’s sustainability accreditation for hotels, eco-conscious start-ups and long-standing businesses, and a commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2040. All these factors help make it one of the most sustainable travel destinations in the world. For anyone interested in seeing sustainability innovation in action, it’s a fascinating place to spend time.
Azores, Portugal: an island archipelago taking sustainability off-shore
The Azores is the first island archipelago in the world to gain EarthCheck Sustainable Destination certification. The islands’ natural treasures are many, both on solid ground and in the surrounding ocean. Legislation to protect its wildlife-rich habitats is extensive, including limits on building development, the expansion of marine parks and the preservation of three island-wide UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. The islands have also used renewable energy sources for decades, including wind, geothermal and hydropower. The Azores are committed to cementing their reputation as a green destination and with the introduction of an official charter, planning sustainable vacations here is a breeze.
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Are you feeling inspired to plan a trip to one of these eco-friendly destinations? Get in touch with our local experts today – they’ll help you tailor-make a memorable and responsible escape.
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