What is an eco vacation? Eco-vacations are a big thing right now, as is giving back on vacation, or doing good for people/planet. It’s all part of the plan101. What you do and choose to do are half the battle.

More and more people – particularly millennials – are choosing eco vacations to support, and vacations where they can get involved with a local community. It’s all part of the paradigm of wanting to give back to the planet in a significant way. 

What is eco tourism? Eco tourism is visiting places that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, directed toward threatened, natural environments, in an effort to support conservation and wildlife. It’s much larger than this, too. These tours are specifically designed to get people active and to take action on climate change, even while on vacation. Some of these tours implement programs that help remote villages find and build resources, or tend to animal care, or teach, or do clean up activities and more. 

It isn’t just millennials who are concerned about climate change. This concern spans generations of people who care about their kids and their planet. They want to get involved with something greater than themselves, where they can make a positive contribution to the environment and living things.

What are the advantages to sustainable eco-vacations? Other than to the planet we serve, we can actually make a difference by these kinds of choices. Whether it’s as nurturing as washing elephants in Africa, or feeding animals who have food challenges, or watering them, these are fun ways to do something that makes us feel good.

How do you find these companies? This is a list of a few companies who are reputed to be great eco-resources for vacations that give back

  1. Bamboo Tours – “Bamboo is the next step in independent tours and adventure travel. Our global team is dedicated to pushing boundaries and to defining the term ‘responsible tourism.’ Around the world the Bamboo collective consists of the perfect mix of passionate locals and international travelers.” Bamboo offers tours to Cambodia, Thailand, Bali, Uganda, Tahiti, Costa Rica, Vietnam, and Nepal.
  2. Rhino Tours – “Rhino Africa was founded on a passion for the people, wildlife and spectacular landscapes of Africa. For over a decade, we’ve been tailor-making experiences for our guests from all over the globe and have established ourselves as the authority on African travel. We want only the best for the place we call home, and that’s why we are devoted to conservation and community upliftment. Join us, and leave your legacy in Africa.”
  3. Gondwana Ecotours – “Gondwana Ecotours is a company offering trips around the globe, with an aim of bringing people from all over closer together. They have also made it their mission to maintain an environmental and cultural focus while providing the vacation of a lifetime, and are a Green America Certified Business, which means they have been certified by a committee which examines their social and environmental values and contributions.”
  4. Responsible Travel – “We campaign for change on issues that we are passionate about. We do this because we want to help protect our favorite places, cultures, and wildlife from unethical practices and irresponsible tourism. We want to help create a more caring tourism industry. Over recent years we’ve formed relationships with activists, local communities and NGO’s to do this.” 
  5. Eco Companion – “Humans have made more of an impact on the world than any other species. We have a powerful role to play in the shaping of the world and, whilst human impact is not always harmful, our ‘footprint’ is growing ever larger: human industries have created emissions that have fundamentally altered the Earth’s ecosystems; oceans and rivers have been polluted and overfished; and animals’ habitats have been degraded and destroyed. You will be our eyes and ears on the ground, helping to analyse how truly sustainable each experience is! Of course, it’s easy to wonder: ‘As one person, how can I really make a difference?’ 

When individuals join together as a collective, this is when we can truly hope to make an impact.”

Now you may get the hang of it. All of these companies – and there are many more – offer opportunities to eco-travel and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences doing something out of the box that’s also productive. They are always looking for eco-travelers who have their mind set about giving back and making a difference in the world. 

The concept of eco-travel has caught on like wildfire as more people see vacation as a time to enjoy, be responsible and leave something of themselves behind. There is a tremendous sense of fulfillment in a fun, rewarding vacation that you’ll always remember.
You have 2 or 3 good months left to take an eco-vacation. Do the research, find a company that resonates with your dreams and goals, and go for it. The world is getting smaller and smaller with social media and internet. It plain old feels good to know that the contribution you make to our planet is a positive one that has the power to help others and animals along the way, and be sustainable