TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

10 tips to travel in a more sustainable way

(including unsustainable tourist traps at your travel destination!)

1. Don't bring waste materials

When traveling to countries where effective recycling systems are not in place, avoid bringing materials that cannot be properly recycled. If you still need to bring them, take those materials back home where they can be recycled, such as batteries.

2. Choose eco-friendly accommodations

Select accommodations that implement sustainable practices, such as energy-saving lighting and water conservation. All accommodations operated by World Unite! make efforts towards sustainability.

3. Optimize transportation

Instead of relying on individual transport like taxis, opt for public transportation such as buses and trains. Reduce the use of flights when possible. Concerning your long-distance flights when joining our travel programs: Did you know that World Unite! plants 10 trees at Kilimanjaro for the CO2 offset of your flights and additionally plants fast-growing bamboo, which is an effective carbon sink?
Tip: At all our accommodations in Japan, we rent out bicycles inexpensively, only covering our bike maintenance costs.

4. Avoid disturbing wildlife and emitting unnecessary CO2

Refrain from engaging in "fun" activities that emit CO2, disturb or harm wildlife, and destroy nature, such as speeding with quad bikes on beaches, mud, or forests, or using noisy jet skis. Did you know that campfires on the beach were the reason newly hatched sea turtles mistakenly follow the fire as a light source instead of the moon over the sea and as a result dried up or were run over?

5. Embrace reusability

Instead of purchasing single-use PET bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags, bring your own refillable bottle, cup, and reusable shopping bag. In many of our programs we offer filtered drinking water, whereby you can fill up the drinking bottle you have brought with you.

6. Dress culturally sensitively

We will provide information on appropriate clothing styles depending on your travel destination and the type of activity.

7. Support local businesses and natural products

Opt for locally-made natural products instead of imported or plastic ones. Bamboo is a great material that can replace plastic in many applications.

8. Don't touch and remove animals and plants

In natural environments, such as beaches, refrain from touching, collecting, or removing any plants or wildlife, including starfish and corals. Starfish and sea cucumbers, when out of water, cannot breathe and can suffocate within minutes.

9. Use eco-friendly sunscreen

Approximately 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in the ocean each year! Most sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone, which protects our skin from UV light but poses a serious threat to coral reefs by damaging their DNA. Choose sunscreen that does not contain oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate/octylmethoxycinnamate, octisalate, avobenzone, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, 4-methylbenzylidene, and homosalate.

10. Avoid participating in unsustainable tourism activities

If you plan to arrange your own tourism activities during your stay abroad, thoroughly research whether those activities might have a negative impact on wildlife, the environment, or local communities. Avoid such activities if they do or when in doubt.

Unsustainable tourist traps to avoid:

Zanzibar:

• Swimming with marine turtles in captivity — In Zanzibar, there are several operators that keep marine turtles in lagoons and pools, allowing or even encouraging tourists to swim with them for profit. However, this practice causes enormous stress to the turtles and exposes them to bacteria and other pathogens from human skin, and chemicals found in sunscreen. It's important to note that marine turtles can also transmit diseases to humans. In general, it goes against the principles of animal conservation to keep marine turtles in captivity, as they won't reproduce in captivity.

• Visiting zoos — Many zoos in Zanzibar operate solely for profit and falsely claim to contribute to conservation efforts. These zoos have extremely poor standards of animal welfare, including inadequate enclosure sizes and designs. They lack qualified staff, and the animals often suffer from malnourishment and mistreatment by both keepers and uninformed tourists. Animals frequently die, only to be replaced by new ones captured from the wild. The same applies to Prison Island, a popular half-day trip, where a significant number of Giant Aldabra Tortoises are kept under subpar conditions. A better alternative is Uwemajo Zanzibar Turtle and Tortoise Land in Jozani Forest, where you can observe four large Aldabra Tortoises and numerous freely roaming babies in a spacious natural environment.

• Dolphin tours in Kizimkazi — Fishermen operating boats for dolphin-watching tours in Kizimkazi engage in practices that seriously disturb the dolphins' natural foraging and breeding behaviors. They chase after the dolphins and encircle them with multiple boats, causing significant disruptions.

South Africa:

• Shark cage diving — Conservationists argue that shark cage diving can have a negative impact on the behavior of sharks. Luring sharks to boats with bait disrupts their natural feeding patterns, and repeated exposure to humans can lead to habituation, posing risks for both sharks and humans.

• Projects keeping lion cubs — Keeping lion cubs for tourist interactions, such as petting and photo opportunities, often involves separating them from their mothers at a young age and subjecting them to stressful and unnatural conditions to make them more "manageable" around humans. Many lion breeding and petting facilities in South Africa are associated with the controversial practice of "canned hunting," where captive-bred lions are released into fenced-in areas and shot by paying customers. Similar cruel practices exist with other wild animals.

Japan:

• Dolphinariums — Despite being a developed and wealthy country, Japan has notably low standards for animal keeping. Many aquariums keep dolphins, sea lions, and other marine animals in small pools where they are required to participate in entertainment shows, perform tricks, and endure noisy crowds. Dolphinariums are often found in amusement parks with constant loud music and noise from roller coasters, etc.

• Animal cafés — Numerous "animal cafés" in Japan keep wildlife such as owls, ostriches, hedgehogs, and penguins in café settings for customers to interact with. Approximately 60% of the animals displayed in these establishments are part of the illegal wildlife trade. It is advised not to visit such places.

• Community zoos — Many cities operate small community zoos, primarily targeting children and families, that keep exotic wildlife in enclosures designed based on outdated concepts of animal keeping.

• Excessive use of unnecessary plastics — In Japan, for instance, when purchasing groceries, items are often excessively packaged in plastic (e.g., a single egg or banana in a disposable plastic container). If you decline the plastic shopping bag for an additional fee, the cashier may pack your groceries in multiple small transparent plastic bags, which are often completely unnecessary. There is no cultural taboo or embarrassment in politely requesting them NOT TO DO SO.

India:

• Elephant rides — Many tourist attractions in India offer elephant rides as a popular activity. However, the process of training and keeping elephants in captivity often involves cruel practices such as physical abuse, neglect, and confinement.

• Wildlife exploitation — Popular tourist activities like wildlife selfies, animal performances, or petting zoos frequently exploit animals for entertainment purposes. These activities can involve animal cruelty and contribute to the illegal wildlife trade.

• Water wastage — Water is a scarce resource in many parts of India, yet several hotels and tourist attractions waste significant amounts of water through practices like watering lawns or filling swimming pools, even in extremely dry areas like the Thar desert. This can have devastating effects on groundwater levels and seriously impact small-scale farmers who depend on water resources.

• Child labor — In some tourist areas, children are exploited for activities such as begging or selling souvenirs. This practice not only exploits children but also perpetuates poverty and deprives them of education opportunities.