10 Eco-Friendly Travel Trends to Watch in 2020

Travel is not always the most environmentally friendly behavior, especially when factoring in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by airplanes and cruise ships, or the influx of tourists damaging popular destinations and attractions. Fortunately a variety of industries within the travel sector are trying to make a difference, moving beyond simply eliminating plastic straws or planting vegetable gardens. While some of these developments have been called greenwashing, which is the marketing practice of making green initiatives seem more eco-friendly, the truth is that the major changes needed across the board are still years away. In the meantime, the following trends are ones to follow in 2020 and beyond.

Rewilding is an aspect of wildlife conservation that involves rebuilding animal populations. Both destinations and hotels are participating in this movement; Volcanoes Safari in Rwanda is one such example. While the region is best known for gorilla conservation and tourism, there is also a small group of 27 chimpanzees who live in Uganda, and are at risk of dying out due to a dwindling population. To help, Volcanoes Safari recently announced its Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project. The chimpanzees live in Uganda’s Kyambura Gorge (pronounced Chambura), and are isolated from other chimp communities due to years of deforestation. To help reunite them with other chimps, and ultimately boost their numbers, Volcanoes Safari is working with local communities to replant a connecting corridor between forests. But since the tree planting has just started, the reunion won’t be happening anytime soon. But if it works, it could serve as a future model.

There are a growing number of opportunities for travelers to help rehab coral reefs. On Moorea, part of the Islands of Tahiti, Temoana Tours recently added coral gardening (pictured) for those on its Fabulous Tour. The excursion involves a lunch break on the company’s private motu, or reef islet, during which guests can affix damaged coral to a healthy underwater reef in the lagoon, all while learning more about the ongoing reef restoration efforts. Tourists can also help repair coral reefs at Baros Maldives and Andaz Mayakoba Resort in the Riviera Maya.

Train travel is experiencing record numbers: Amtrak reported 32.5 million riders in 2019, 800,000 more than in 2018. Not only that, but Amtrak plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20,000 tons in 2020. Meanwhile, it’s estimated that Eurail ridership is up 40 percent in Scandinavia. These are significant changes considering that airline emissions are also up; in 2018, airlines contributed 3.4 percent more carbon dioxide in 2018 than the year before.