How Luxury Travel is Becoming More Sustainable
The new trend is more about having an exclusive experience, including the local cuisine, community, culture and customization of a travel location.
Taking part in this type of luxury travel itinerary can help reduce their carbon footprint and offer a unique experience they'll remember for a lifetime.
What Does Sustainable Luxury Travel Look Like?
Shifting from a copious luxury travel style where "luxury" is more about paying for expensive items is timely, considering the adverse effects the climate crisis is having on the planet.
Flying different types of foods or other luxury items to a resort contributes to polluting the environment and breaking down the precious ozone layer. One of the most significant sources of carbon emissions related to the luxury travel industry is the transportation of food, furnishings and other extravagant items from one destination to another.
Staying in a luxury hotel where toiletries and bottled water are dispensed via plastic containers doesn't help the environment either if they end up in the ocean or are sent to a landfill. Replacing these single-use containers with handmade soaps or reusable ceramic jars has become a reality in some destinations.
Going on a dream vacation where money is no object has been reframed by many wealthy travellers. Adding sustainability into the mix is all about exclusivity and obtaining a high-end experience incorporated with protection for the environment.
Regenerative Luxury Travel Becomes a Priority
It’s been 25 years since the Kyoto Protocol was signed. Since that historic event, awareness of and scientific data on climate change have increased significantly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has a heightened focus on environmental damage. Many travellers have started to make plans that incorporate sustainability along with enriching adventures and experiences.
This shift towards taking longer trips where they can enjoy the local culture, community and geography is a win-win situation for the environment and these travellers.
Reconnecting with nature and the earth can be done by taking part in a secluded getaway to an isolated location where hotels have prioritized a solid commitment to social and environmental sustainability. These types of accommodations not only offer appealing surroundings and exclusivity but are making a commitment to sustainability.
Examples of Green Energy and Sustainable Design
Several examples show how travel providers are combining both luxury and sustainability. Doing so can also help their bottom line when making a significant financial investment, which is another benefit of shifting towards greener operations.
The Caribbean: Bucuti & Tara
The Caribbean island of Aruba is an excellent example -- beautiful white-sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts offer a fantastic way to spend time relaxing.
Fitted with over 600 energy-saving solar panels, the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort has achieved carbon neutrality due to its specialized laundry system and the measures taken to provide green energy to each room.
New York: 1 Brooklyn Bridge
The 1 Hotels brand in New York City is another example of a high-end luxury destination incorporating sustainability into the process of providing accommodations, which can be seen at their flagship property, 1 Brooklyn Bridge.
This project was developed with the mindset that many affluent travellers care about the world and sustainability factors. While some of the property's highlights include a rooftop pool and a spectacular view of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from guest rooms in the facility, elements of sustainability are seen throughout the hotel.
Most of the interior and furniture has been designed and created using reclaimed and local materials from the area, such as the Brooklyn Botanica Gardens. Outdoor spaces at the hotel are also supplied using local plants native to the location.
India: Spice Village
Sustainable luxury travel and high-end comfort is also available in India. Staying at the Spice Village in Thekkady offers naturally cooled huts utilizing dried elephant grass. This setup eliminates the need for an air conditioner and helps maintain a fire line, inhibiting forest fires.
Solar panels generate electricity for Spice Village. Rural entrepreneurs produce reusable cloth bags and dustbin liners for the resort and several pieces of furniture are handcrafted from locally sourced pine wood that's been recycled.
An in-house organic farm is also utilized as a food source for the resort's two restaurants and old magazines and newspapers are recycled at the location. The handmade paper produced from this process is used for registering guests.
Even the food waste is turned into compost and used to fertilize the organic garden.
French Polynesia: The Brando
Another excellent example of a sustainable design offering a top-notch experience for travellers who don't mind splurging for accommodations is The Brando. Travelling to French Polynesia and the island of Tetiaroa and booking reservations at this resort offers some of the highest standards combined with sustainability.
It's not surprising this property received a platinum certification from LEED, which is its highest level. Examining the design of the resort indicates how appropriate and well deserved the certification is. All of the resort energy is renewable, provided by a coconut oil-fueled power station and the sunshine of the South Pacific.
The property produces incredible results regarding sustainability by utilizing a seawater air-conditioning system and rainwater for the laundry service and toilets.
Vietnam: The Six Senses
The Six Senses is devoted to sustainability at its resorts, hotels and spas. It helps support community projects and local charities with a portion of its revenues by including a Sustainability Fund at each of its resorts.
Water is bottled on-site and zero plastic bottles are used. At its Vietnam locations, Six Senses Ninh Van Gabbay and Six Senses Con Dao, the company has teamed up with the national park to help rejuvenate and protect the coral reef system.
Doing so is an excellent move for both guests and the environment. Travellers can experience a fantastic setting for snorkelling and swimming while the wildlife thrives alongside these adventures.
How to Make a Sustainable Choice
Travellers searching for luxury travel and sustainability can start by browsing through the website of a resort or hotel where they're thinking about visiting to see the company's involvement in sourcing local employees, energy reduction or using sustainable food sources.
Looking for certification from LEED or the developer's participation in helping the local wildlife, environment and residents can tell a great deal about the position being taken for sustainability in its location. Choosing to stay at one of these locations can be both relaxing and positive for the environment.
If the negative effects of climate change are going to be thwarted, more luxury hotels and resorts will need to follow the practices and processes required to help maintain an eco-friendly balance. Doing so offers several benefits for travellers in the environment.
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