If like us you love travel and experiencing new cultures and geographies read on to learn about sustainable travel. If like us you have missed travel during the recent pandemic because of global travel restrictions this may be a chance to refocus your travel ambitions. There are so many green travel options to consider today from housesitting, to using electrified vehicles to get around.

What is sustainable travel?

Sustainable travel and responsible tourism is a phrase that has become very popular in recent years. But why has it become such a big issue? is it related to green travel and eco-tourism? And how is house-sitting related?

Is house-sitting sustainable or green travel?

It’s estimated that 7 out of 10 people in the UK take a short break or holiday each year, and it is estimated that by 2025 the UK alone will have a tourism industry worth over 257 billion pounds. But is this positive growth in tourism creating a negative impact elsewhere?

Increasingly we learn about travellers pushing eco friendly vehicles further afield. All-electric campervans and buses taking people to more interesting places, sometimes off grid!

Sometimes the end destination for the eco-tourist is a housesit in a new location.

 Sustainable travel

Many may argue that it is. It has emerged in the past few years that mass tourism is causing a number of negative effects, impacting the planet and the people that live in the affected communities. We talk generally about macro issues such as global warming, we can see the impact on wildlife and ecosystems, and more specifically we also see the impact on local communities threatened by examples of exploitative tourism.

It is hard to argue against the old adage that travel broadens the mind. Many of us escape cold climate and gravitate to warmer countries all over the globe. We escape to resorts built and dedicated to ensuring we unwind and de-stress from our everyday lives for a week or so. There is no doubt travel also enriches and boosts communities around the world. Increasingly many communities around the world have begun to rely heavily on tourism as a main source of their revenue and job creation.

Eco travel and rethinking tourism

However, perhaps it is time to start thinking about making responsible choices that will benefit the local families of these areas as well as the tourists. We can protect the natural awe inspiring landscapes that are being threatened by concrete cities, while helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

We can participate and encourage sustainable travel and eco tourism. This benefits both the holiday makers and it helps the local communities. And that’s why it has become such an important issue affecting not only the travel industry but holiday makers themselves.

Through actively engaging in responsible and sustainable travel, tourists can  relax and unwind while being responsible and ethical in their choices.

How is House-Sitting perceived as Sustainable Tourism?

House sitting allows you to make responsible choices about your travel options. A responsible choice enables you to take careful consideration into the choice of accommodation, your destination and mode of transport based on ethical sensitivities as well as being concerned for the environment and have a keen interest in local culture.

Responsible travel, also often offers you an authentic travelling experience. Allowing you to really explore the heart and soul of a country and enrich yourself in the local traditions of communities. This is something that by participating in house-sitting offers, whilst allowing you to be sustainable and responsible in your travel choices.

Green travel and the benefits

At HouseSit Match we are passionate about promoting responsible travel. It is important to us that our customers not only enjoy their house-sitting trips and holidays. And also that through house-sitting they are able to travel sustainably and ethically. So by engaging in alternative holidays such as house-sitting, house-swapping and volunteering you can achieve green travel goals. Do this by getting involved in responsible travel. This way you gain a genuine eco-travel experience, leaving a lighter footprint on the planet and also help work towards keeping destinations special for generations to come.

Taking Responsibility

HouseSit Match, are delighted to announce that we have partnered with an independent charity, Tourism Concern, and dedicated to campaigning for ethical and responsible tourism. Also ensuring tourism always benefits local people by challenging bad practice and promoting better tourism. Our partnership will allow our registered HouseSit Match community access to a discounted membership with Tourism Concern.

Eco-tourism and Tourism Concern priorities

Becoming a member of Tourism Concern will entitle you to free or discounted entry to conferences and seminars. It also gives you access to discounts and exclusive benefits with partners listed in the online Ethical Travel Guide. Allowing you access to expert advice and top tips on how to make responsible choices when travelling. Additionally all individual Members receive a complimentary copy of a printed edition of the Ethical Travel Guide (worth 15 GBP).

We at HouseSit Match are dedicated to ensuring you can make responsible and ethical choices when house-sitting. With our new Tourism Concern partnership, we hope further create an understanding of the importance of these ethical issues. Furthermore we want to make sure all our customers enjoy their house-sitting experience with access to advice on these issues.

Consider House-sitting as a fabulous way of green travel or sustainable travel.

To Register as a House-Sitter yourself for housesitting and pet sitting follow this link HOUSE-SITTER REGISTRATION

To Register as a Homeowner yourself follow this link HOMEOWNER REGISTRATION

 

FURTHER READING ON SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND HOUSESITTING

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Sustainable travel – Electric vehicles and their contribution

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

What is a housesit? Read about the benefits