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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether sustainable travel FAQs or questions about Earth Changers, have a read below.

If you can’t find an answer to your question, please do contact us to ask!

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism as,

“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

No. The Global Ecotourism Network defines Ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas that:

  • conserves the environment,
  • socially and economically sustains the well-being of the local people, and
  • creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (eg. staff, travellers and community).

‘Sustainable tourism’ applies to travel which is not just to natural areas, for example to urban areas too. 

Read more: Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism, Responsible Travel, Conscious Tourism… What’s the Difference?

The 2002 Cape Town Declaration defined Responsible Tourism as

“making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.”

There’s also Conscious Tourism, Ethical Travel, Slow Tourism, Community-Based Tourism , Voluntourism, Geotourism & Pro-Poor Tourism…

Any industry can be less or more sustainable, it’s not always a simple black or white answer.

Some argue that putting a halt to global travel could massively reduce the carbon footprint of tourism, and the consequent impact on greenhouse gas emissions and man-made global warming.

Yet, transport isn’t the only thing which creates carbon emissions, so even domestic tourism creates impacts: transport, accommodation and activities (UNWTO-UNEP-WMO, 2008).

Taking the full tourism system life cycle into account, the sector represents 8-9% of carbon emissions; aviation approximately 3% of total emissions, with a potential magnitude at altitude representing 5%.

Whilst there are undoubtedly negative environmental impacts, to take away tourism from some countries, especially the least developed countries where tourism is a top 3 sector and export market, could literally cut off their life-line, which is not sustainable for their societies and economies. 

There are also many other sectors and activities that contribute more greatly to carbon emissions.

Sustainability is about a triple bottom line balance between environment, society and economy.

At Earth Changers we support carbon reduction and promote net positive impact tourism, recognising that most people won’t stop flying, but encouraging them to reduce and if they are going to fly to undertake proven positive instead of negative impact tourism, as a net positive force for good.

Carbon offsetting, or carbon sequestration, is when you calculate the amount of carbon emissions your activity or journey will create and then donate money into projects which say they remove the equivalent from the atmosphere, for example in planting trees or upgrading infrastructure to be more energy efficient.

Sounds great in theory! However, offsetting does not reduce emissions – the emissions still occur. Therefore, offsetting does not solve the problem, but merely appeases guilt, scratches the surface and unfortunately often does not work. There are times when offsetting does or doesn’t make sense.

What does the simultaneous breakdown of nature and climate mean for travel? Everything is a balance, sometimes subjective depending on personal preferences. Here we look at some top line stats and facts to help you consider

Our ‘Purpose’ section details how tourism inter-relates to and supports each of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

We’ve thought of 8 reasons. There may be more!

Founder Vicky has worked in tourism for over 23 years, including sustainable tourism for over 12; in destinations, marketing and ecommerce, heading up operations abroad and online for major tour operators, online travel agents and media, in mass market tourism, ski, safari, tours, charity challenges and voluntourism, NGOs and sustainable tourism accreditation organisations. She’s been a ski resort manager, a qualified ranger in Africa, charity challenge leader and trustee for SEED Madagascar. Vicky’s published MSc paper (distinction) on responsible volunteer tourism and greenwashing was pioneering.

Having witnessed first-hand many of the issues and impacts for local people and places, Earth Changers understand the purpose potential of tourism for sustainable development and supporting those who are truly committed to delivering that aim.

Earth Changers discern and curate this unique collection of outstanding positive impact tourism.

We help answer your questions and when you’re ready to book, facilitate your booking for your convenience to be made direct.

This is so you pay the destination direct to maximise benefits for the local places, people and purpose. We’re not a travel agent or a tour operator but travel advisors to guide you.

Earth Changers is a curated collection of the best transformative, sustainable, regenerative tourism around the world. Earth Changers helps you find and book ‘life-changing places and world-changing people’ for extraordinary experiences with purpose: serious positive impacts, engaging with the people behind places to reveal their true passions, educate on the issues and enable the booking of real sustainable tourism.

We’re about adventure, connection and integrity. Our Manifesto describes our values and invites you to join Earth Changers too.

Here are some practical and cost effective steps hotels take to minimise waste, so you can be on the lookout for places that are doing all they can for #ZeroWaste – or to arm you with ideas for their feedback forms where you see that they could improve!

How can you, and do we, tell what is actually an ethical volunteer placement or initiative that ensures benefits to local communities?

If tourism is truly responsible or sustainable, it won’t be greenwashing. What is greenwashing? Why do organisations do it? What problems does it cause? How do you spot it and what different forms does it take? And what can you do about it?

#IY2017 The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development was so-named to highlight tourism’s extraordinary cross-sectoral nature as an opportunity to support sustainable development throughout the world and its enormous potential for global positive impacts.

This isn’t just about tourism minimising its negative impacts. 

It aimed to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behaviour to a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute positive impacts to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030.

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