The Travel Green List

In our first ever Travel Green List, Wanderlust champions the destinations, accommodation, tours and transport operators creating a more sustainable travel experience for everyone

- Karen Edwards

From inception, we wanted the Travel Green List to be an extensive, inspiring and honest portrayal of sustainability in travel. So, we began by asking the most obvious question: what is sustainable travel?

It's a question that often yields an elusive answer, due to the many complex aspects around sustainability. We already know that reducing carbon emissions is crucial, as is preserving the planet's biodiversity and ecosystems. However, the effect of tourism on communities is also vital, albeit a factor far less widely appreciated.

In fact, in most cases these go hand in hand. A well-supported society will be more empowered and equipped to protect its environment, strengthening regeneration. In regions where Indigenous peoples are striving for acknowledgement and survival, First Nations-led tourism initiatives can be empowering and educational for both visitors and locals alike. It thus follows that all these experiences should be inclusive and accessible to people of every background and ability, and not least because that's just basic human decency.

In essence, sustainable travel is an exchange of enriching and interactive encounters that benefit both the visitor and the host. This was the philosophy we adopted in compiling the Travel Green List. In doing so, we discovered that sustainable travel experiences can be enjoyed in the most unexpected corners of the world, where they can truly be a force for good.