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12 Sustainable tips for a life on the road – Part 1

The ‘Ultimate’ guide for living & Travel ethically & responsibly as a nomad

[ Part 1 ]

Now as we move into a new era of travel there is a pivot toward a more sustainable way of travelling and almost a hypersensitivity toward how we travel cleaner, ethically and responsibly for a better future and how we affect the world around us. A new buzzword is hitting the tourism professional world, going beyond Sustainable travelling into ” ‘Regenerative Travel’. Which refers to leaving a place better than you found it and making the world a better place while you travel.

Firstly, I wanted to share what Sustainability Goals are exactly, and how you can contribute in micro ways. As we travel we have an opportunity to make good choices toward a better experience for all as we travel.  And then, we will show you a bit about how Nomad Stays contributes.

At the risk of being too mundane, did want to share The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals as global citizens responsibility as is for all, however, it is just reality.  So there I go being “boring” I know but it’s what we do as entrepreneurs we talk and try to look at all perspectives, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Are you familiar with the collection of 17 interlinked global goals? These goals are designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. I thought it might help to break it down into bites size chunks.

Sustainable

To explain it simply, Sustainability is the capacity to endure in a relatively ongoing way across various domains of life. This is something an entrepreneur strives to do moment by moment. In the 21st century, it is referred to generally as the capacity for Earth’s biosphere and human civilization to co-exist. (from the god of Wikipedia!)

Recently I was reading n article from ehotelier.com and I thought I would I would share this extract: from the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, who said:

Sustainability must no longer be a niche part of tourism but the new norm for every part of our sector. That means an opportunity to build back better & create industry that is more resilient & aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Development

Development is defined as the process of growth or new information or even events that have ongoing development. An example of development is the changing of a caterpillar to a butterfly. An example of development is emerging details about a local project, of building a marina to attract more tourism or marine life for tourism etc.

In another view development transforms the environment and the interactions between human groups; it also involves the natural environment. So, from another point of view, development is about the conversion of natural resources into cultural resources. In a business sense, we have ongoing development as the business grows and develops.

Now we move to Goals and the true meaning to put Sustainability Developments Goals into a deeper perspective. Click here to see the full passage of the example below.

Goals

A goal is like a guiding light, it is the focus of a person or businesses ambition or effort. To set a goal is to aim or desired result they require is very personal.

Goals are like plots on a map so that you know where you’re going and you can break it into small steps, so you understand each part of the journey, the distance involved, the resources available to you so that you can get to your goal quickly.

Without goals, we can get trapped by unexpected terrain that can be impossible to pass, so knowing beforehand gives you more information about what is required to achieve the goal. The same goes with sustainability goals; they are just small steps toward a bigger goal. We can all plot our goals on the map as we travel.

SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.

Here is how Nomad Stays is partaking in Sustainable Travel as a company and how you can too.

Sustainablity Development goals is blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all

Start with reducing your carbon footprint

There is a number of ways you can do this but first, let’s look at what they are so we can all start to play our part.

Most of us who are full-time travellers are acutely aware of the environment because as we travel, we see who catastrophic the effect is if we don’t take care of the planet or the environment. If you have ever been to Thailand, Indonesia, India or parts of Africa, you will see first-hand the result of the devastation rubbish and pollution cause.

So what are Carbon Offsets?

Carbon offsets are a way in which you can balance out your emissions in the attempt to be carbon neutral, all whilst still doing the things you love!

So for every tonne of CO2 you emit through your travels (or in your lifestyle), you can offset that amount by removing or preventing a tonne of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in other areas.

“How do I know how much carbon I have emitted while travelling?”

The easy answer is a Carbon Offset Calculator. You can measure the exact amount of CO2 you have released during a flight, car journey or cruise trip by entering specific details. Those details you shared transcribe into data and give you an estimated amount of money that you should be donating to an offset company in order to balance out your emissions.

If you are curious to know what was the impact of carbon reduction throughout Covid 19 See ScienceDirect.com for full reports.

Currently, we hear and talk a lot about sustainable, ethical, and responsible travelling in one form or another. But what are we doing about it in every choice we make. As we have mentioned a lot before, the situation created by the Corona-19 virus could give the best premise to finally start travelling in a more conscious way and towards a happier planet and a better being mindful of how we affect the world around us.

Be warned…

Here is a tip from experience.  When buying your plane ticket. Be careful not to fall into the trap of buying carbon offsets as we found out from some airline companies they are a bit sneaky and this is what they do. They buy Carbon credits from a company for 1-2 Euro and then resell them to you for 22 Euro. So the Airline pockets and your hard-earned cash is not going where it is most effective, or most intended. You just pay more for your seat. It’s a bit tricky, but you are basically being upsold, Like buying things at a premium price at the check out you don’t need.

It’s up to you to be mindful of how effectively your money works for you and the planet. So be smart about where you put your efforts regarding carbon credits and be sure not to get caught in the guilt trap. Just do some research for yourself.  And hey, don’t let me tell you what’s good and bad; go and research it yourself, so you are happy with your efforts.

Think out of the box 

Expecting your travel to go as planned is just setting yourself up for heartache. Look, most of the time things do to plan but the secret is to be flexible and think out of the box. 

Instead, ditch the mind-frame that everything has to be perfect and go according to plan. Adopt the idea that things could get messed up and that is okay. Embrace it, go with the flow but be the leader, not the follower by expecting the unexpected and pivoting quickly and know what options you have.

With that being said, I do not think that throw caution to the wind is a great tactic. Cover yourself in case something goes wrong with travel insurance. (no we are not earning affiliate marketing for that tip)

Stay true to what you value

Work with what is important to you and stick to what you value in life and in your world around you. Try going against those values and you will find yourself in a very unhappy place, be it life and business.

Stay close to what you value in life and in work and you will be happier, and feel better in what you do as a traveller. I travel full time because it is important for me to explore more. I spend a very big part of my life in the corporate world serving others within the boundaries of the company rules.

What happens when you go against your personal Values?

You find it very difficult to function. It’s as simple as that. Every day you need to feel comfortable with the decisions you make, so take notice of things that you don’t sit right with and stay true to what you value because it is a part of you, it’s deep core values that are absolute. These values are like a song to your ears or a sledgehammer to the heart, so you know when you not true to them. They are mostly unconscious not conscious. and they are your building blocks to your life.

How do you practically apply all of these ‘sustainable principles’ into reality?

Here the first few points which could help you, the planet, and have a positive impact on local communities, from now on while your travelling think of how you can make small effects toward being more responsible traveller;

1. Plan Better!

try to reduce the number of flights to a minimum to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions.  Instead of hopping from one side of the globe to the other, choose shorter distances by travelling overland, by train, buses, shared cars, etc. Travel slowly.  Enjoy what’s in-between places. Spend long enough in a place to get to know the people, places, and the local life and get into nature.

2. Respect

You are a visitor. Think twice before choosing your dress code, before approaching people, before talking, before taking photos, before moving. Being aware of your impact on local people and the environment. Try to learn the language and communicate. Know that everything is different to where you come from so rather than being angry about how things a different try to understand why they are different. Let curiosity lead the charge. Having lived and worked on three continents now I know how the basics can be really hard. So be very mindful.

3. Research

This is where curiosity prevails and research helps you understand. Get to know about the area, the people, the culture, the traditions, and the language to respect cultural ways, learn from them, fit in like a local if you plan to spend a short or long time in the area. Always aim to add value and leave a good impression.

#8 ugandageorgia#4 Spain
4. Eat Local

Prioritise local foods. Trying local dishes is part of our travel experiences. Local dishes may be grown, produced or prepared locally.  If you’re so inclined, reduce the number of animal products you are consuming in favour of a plant-based diet.

5. Go Local

Avoid big multinational chains of restaurants, cafes, fashion, etc, and instead support small, local, family-run businesses. By doing so you will not only find unique, really local, ‘Zero km’ products and flavours.  This supports the local communities.  Empowering and appreciating their efforts. Choose local bazaars over supermarket chains and local cafes instead of multinational brands. Head for the independent little handicraft shops instead of global chains. You get the picture.

6. Stay Regional & rural

Go off the beaten track and stay in regional towns and villages, that’s where you have the best experiences. Nomad Stays is all about exploring more. Try to avoid becoming a hermit as you work your way around the world.  There are lots of choices for regional unexplored places where you get the true experience of the people.

Join the community

Come over and join the community and share your unscripted adventures with other nomads. Remember it’s never too late to start. Thanks for joining us in the journey of responsible travellers. Also, remember to come over and Try Us! Become a member today and let’s go!

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