7 Simple Tips for Selecting a Sustainable Resort

Traveling with an eye on the future isn’t hard, and can open all-new possibilities for fun.

Do you care about being a globally responsible traveler, but also about squeezing in some serious relaxation (think sunbathing, frosty beverages, and pool floats) during your next far-flung vacation? The two don’t need to be mutually exclusive so long as you’re mindful of where you plan on parking your lounge chair. We checked with sustainable tourism expert Dr. Rachel Dodds, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and coauthor of the 2022 book Are We There Yet? Travelling More Responsibly With Your Children. She shared some simple tips for resort-hopping with a conscience. “Tourism can be an amazing force for good,” Dodds says. “But we have to make an effort. It’s about making better choices that are aligned with our values.”

1. READ GUEST REVIEWS

Travel websites, booking platforms, and other online resources can provide an unvarnished peek inside the premises of resorts claiming to embrace ecofriendly practices while not living up to their promises. Keep your eyes peeled for consumer reviews calling out greenwashing, irresponsible land development, and misleading ads — as well as for praise directed toward resorts that are implementing Earthfriendly policies. Some of them “are doing much better than others,” Dodds says, and satisfied guests “should be reporting the ones that are actually making an effort.”

Not only will this feedback steer potential visitors in the right direction, but it might drive positive change: Business managers do read the comment cards, social media, and online forums, Dobbs attests, citing a time in Portugal where she complained online that a local restaurant only offered bottle water and erroneously claimed the local water was undrinkable. “I wrote on TripAdvisor how disappointed I was in this restaurant,” Dobbs says. “And the restaurant then changed their policy. One thing can make a real difference.”

2. ASK QUESTIONS

“If you can’t find an environmental sustainability policy on [the resort’s] website,” Dodds cautions, “chances are they don’t have one.” Take matters into your own hands by asking resort officials what steps they’re taking to go green: Have they eliminated single-use plastics like disposable mini-toiletries? Do they conserve water by washing linens and towels every three days and eschew bottled water in favor of water coolers? Do they have automatic energy-saving lights installed in the guestrooms? And what have they done to reduce food waste?

“It’s about making better choices that are aligned with our values.”

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Read up on your chosen resort’s location before fully committing to booking a suite. Some tropical destinations don’t have recycling infrastructure or are in water-scarce regions; meanwhile, “a five-star hotel in Singapore will use as much water as an entire village does in a year,” according to Dodds. Your visit might strain resources even further and exacerbate growing waste issues— and “maybe, as a conscious consumer you shouldn’t be perpetuating that problem,” Dobbs concludes.

4. FLY DIRECT

Chances are, the resort of your dreams isn’t local. If that’s the case, consider one that’s accessible via an airport offering nonstop flights from your location. When it comes to carbon emissions, “one long-haul flight is the same as driving a car for an entire year,” Dodds says. Still, at the end of the day (and your journey), direct flights are better for the environment than multi-leg ones since they contribute less pollution.

5. GO LOCAL

Sustainable tourism “is not just about having less impact on the environment,” according to Dodds. “It’s also about having a better impact on the communities that you visit.” Booking a stay at a locally owned resort instead of through, say, an American chain, ensures that your hardearned money stays in — and benefits — the local economy. These types of lodgings are also more likely to connect tourists with authentic restaurants, artisanal souvenirs (think handwoven textiles instead of T-shirts sewn in

Booking a room during the low season is better for your bottom line and the place you’re visiting.

China), and off-the-beatenpath excursions, enriching the entire community’s bottom line while providing a more dynamic visit for the culturally curious.

6. THINK TWICE ABOUT ANIMAL TOURISM

Whether it’s riding elephants or petting dolphins, be wary of resorts offering guests the chance to get up close and personal with wild animals. Chances are they’re insufficiently handled and isolated from their natural habitat. “No one considers that dolphins belong in the ocean,” Dodds says. “Putting them in a pool and swimming with them is hugely cruel. But when we’re on holiday, we’re thinking, ‘Oh, this is so fun.’ We don’t take the next step and think about what it’s going to do to the animal.”

7. BOOK OFF-SEASON

Many resorts are open yearround — and booking a room during the low season is better for your bottom line and the place you’re visiting. “If you want to go to a resort,” Dodds advises, “go in November; it’s going to be half the price.” Plus, she adds, “the locals are going to be happy to have you when

crowds.”. there’s not any

Whether it’s riding elephants or petting dolphins, be wary of resorts offering guests the chance to get up close and personal with wild animals.