Green holidays – sustainability

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as follows: “Tourism capable of satisfying the needs of today’s tourists and of the host regions, foreseeing and increasing opportunities for the future. All resources should be managed in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be met by maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and the life systems of the area in question. Sustainable tourism products are those that act in harmony with the environment, the community and local cultures, so that they are the beneficiaries and not the victims of tourism development. ”We have described several sustainable tourism practices in a published article a few weeks ago: https://www.completefood.it/la-sostenibilita-anche-in-ferie/

But now we want to give you some suggestions for your green holiday destinations.

Let’s start from Italy. What is more sustainable than a high mountain self-sufficient trek (and a few Bivo in your backpack)? In this blog, in the outdoor section, you will find dozens of ideas for your outdoor holidays. In this article, however, we report some destinations: Camigliatello Silano, in Calabria, a natural oasis within the Sila National Park.

From South to North: Valle d’Aosta. We recommend Cogne, a town near the Gran Paradiso National Park. In Central Italy instead our choice falls on the Farfa area, in the province of Rieti, a truly enchanting natural area along the homonymous river.

If you want to move a few kilometers and are looking for more specific experiences, here are some sustainable holidays around the world. Of course some destinations are reachable only by plane and this clash with one of the precepts of eco-sustainable tourism … Some airlines, however, have for some years been able to offset the CO2 produced with their flight with a donation in favor of initiatives to protect the environment …

Sweden is a country where green tourism has existed for many years so that there are several official ecological brands for structures that meet certain criteria. Here we recommend the Skeppsholmen hotel located in a small islet of the Stockholm area and built in 1699. Exterior of the hotel which recalls another era and interiors characterized by a very modern design. The hotel kitchen uses only seasonal and local ingredients, some of which are even produced in the park itself.

The fairy village in Giethoorn in the Netherlands. In this village, made up of hundreds of islets connected by 170 wooden bridges, all the houses have a thatched roof and you won’t even see a car because the town is entirely pedestrianized. The only alternative to your legs if you want to move is a boat.

Let’s change continent: Bocas del Toro in Panama, just 32 km from Costa Rica. It is an archipelago composed of 6 islands and several uninhabited islets. Here, far from mass tourism, you can admire an enormous wealth of wildlife. This area is famous because on the beaches of these islands sea turtles come to lay their eggs. The archipelago has received prestigious awards such as the World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve.

It is the turn of Africa. Few people know that Capo Verde aims to become 100% green over the next few years by focusing strongly on renewable energy: photovoltaic and wind power. This is certainly a valid reason to support the economy of this wonderful country that, with its 10 volcanic islands set in the Atlantic Ocean, certainly offers unique landscapes and experiences.

You are planning to visit the Asian continent: this is the destination for you. Sri Lanka. The Mahoora Tented Safari Camp is located in Yala, a natural area where it is possible to make beautiful safaris with expert naturalists and live in eco-sustainable accommodations.

We end our ideal tour of the world of sustainable tourism with the Samoa Islands, an island state of Oceania, which, like Cape Verde, aims to achieve 100% energy sustainability in the coming years. This small state is very busy fighting against the problem of global warming and for this reason, as well as for its unique beauty, it is right to reward it.