Courtesy Naya Traveler

In honor of Earth Day next month, Naya Traveler offers curated experiential journeys to culturally rich destinations, steeped in ancient traditions and customs. The founders of Naya Traveler, Sarah Casewit, Marta Tucci and Sofia Mascotena share their tips on how to be a more eco-conscious traveler.

Pack Light – It’s important to understand that carbon emissions per passenger can be significantly reduced by offloading unnecessary weight, so the bottom line here is pack light. Take a minute to rethink what clothes and personal belongings you need while traveling and make an effort to travel as lightly as possible. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Reduce use of plastics such as water bottles, bags and paper (it’s common to consume up to 5 bottles of water daily while traveling. If you do the math of this for a standard 10-day trip, that’s a lot of plastic per person! Consider bringing a reusable water bottle, small changes like these go a long way on the road). 

A sustainable home away from home – We work with a hand-picked selection of boutique properties in all our destinations, and one of the things we look for are hotels committed to protecting the environment as much as possible. Taking this a step further, it’s important to remember how our behavior during a hotel stay can aid this matter: small gestures like turning off the lights, electronics, and AC while we are out on excursions all help reduce the use of power and emissions. 

Choose an environmentally friendly airline – Beyond the reduction of carbon emissions through the use of modernized and more efficient fleets, some airlines are also opting for the use of environmentally friendly materials such as carbon fiber seats, recycled paper and reduced use of plastic in the in-flight service and setting protocols in place for responsible waste management. 

Make sustainability your travel companion – All the efforts and extra measures we strive to apply within our daily lives to be environmentally conscious, should be our closest companion on the road. If you don’t use a fresh new towel every day at home, there’s no need to do this while traveling, even if hotels offer the option. Following this rule of thumb, small initiatives such as bringing a reusable water bottle, saying no to plastic bags and so on, go along way when added up. 

Slow Down – Don’t buy into consumerist culture or social pressures when it comes to travel. Travel less, make it count more. It’s infinitely more rewarding to slow down the pace, and engage deeply with a destination, than to race to tick off all the things on your travel bucket list as soon as possible. This form of travel is not only void of genuine personal transformation but is also the most detrimental kind to our suffering planet.  For more information, visit www.nayatraveler.com