Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Sep 16

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You can make sure that your big day is remembered in more ways than one!

If you are getting married away from home or abroad, then you really need to consider the eco friendly tactics of all your service providers.  Is the caterer using local foods for your dishes?  Is the building using green suppliers or preserving it’s local environment? 

And, equally importantly, is your green wedding photographer helping to buy areas of rainforest with the World Land Trust as a wedding gift to you?

The Whole Package:
There can be many environmental concerns about the digital processing of your pictures and of course the electrical equipment itself and it’s energy use – but with an eco friendly wedding photographer – there is one less thing for you to worry about when you should be enjoying your big day!

I am sure that there are a whole range of wedding photographers from those who are using the most ethically credited equipment, using only the most environmentally friendly rechargeable batteries and only printing on recycled paper, right the way to those that just still use whatever materials and equipment they have always used regardless of it’s environmental impacts.

But you need to be happy that all the actions of the people you employ for your wedding are as green as you would like them to be.  So if you are arranging an eco holiday to a conservation area or getting married at home in a ruined castle or are travelling by train to the event rather than flying – the last thing you want is for your photographer to be the only weak link in your planning.

Every Bit Counts:
It may be that you have other constraints on you for your planning and events which can restrict your ability to find the service and the eco credentials you want your service provider to adhere to – but of course sometimes the finances can control the final outcome.

Even if you only do one thing – it is better than nothing – so take this into account when you are researching.  I recently found a wedding photographer in Nottingham, England who has made some of those important steps towards being one of the most eco friendly photography companies in the country based on changes to his lifestyle.

They have a small section on their website detailing their ‘Green Pledge’ making visitors to their site aware of the steps they are taking in their quest including the reduction of the use of gelatin in traditional celluloid processing to make their products less dependant on animal by-products.

They are, more importantly, reducing to very low levels the amount of paper-based advertising materials to promote their business and focusing on more digital advertising and other on-line advances to reduce wasted printing and printers!

They also send out their sample pictures for you choose from on a disc rather than actual hard copies – again reducing materials used that are only going to be thrown away.  If for some reason you do require them printed before your final selection, this company are beginning to offer these on eco friendly paper.

And the final eco bonus is the fact that they work with the World Land Trust by pledging to buy acres of rainforest for each couple – different sizes depending on the wedding package chosen – for which the couple receive a ‘Thank You’ certificate for.  They can then find out about that area of woodland that has been preserved for ever on their behalf!

So if you are going to get married in England, plan yourself one of these Nottingham weddings.  That way you can make a difference to the world by just saying ‘cheese’!

posted by Catherine on Sep 10

Here I continue with some other areas where I found it difficult to remain green while on vacation…..

On The Buses:
The buses ran very frequently and we didn’t want to hire a car so we stuck with public transport – however – there was a slight problem.

All the buses were churning out black fumes as they trundled along the badly laid streets over-filled with us tourists. Some said ‘12 standing’ but we were hanging out the door alongside another 20 or more people holding on for dear life.

There was no chance at all of us walking anywhere due to the excessive heat, but we were not going to be the only ones waiting for a newer bus to come along to satisfy our eco-needs!

The Hotel Itself.
Now this should have been a safe bet as we had searched it’s details before booking – but they don’t write everything down!

The towels were needlessly replaced everyday even though we followed the instructions to ’save water’ and hung them on the rails, and there were other little things that were not in the description.

For example the giant plasma TV screen in the reception lounge and dozens of little ones dotted around with hotel advertising on them. Then the total reception ‘re-furb’ where they replaced all the furniture overnight!

The main hotel had 3 separate lifts even though it wasn’t that big, and also had 2 separate buildings – each with their own lift too! But when you had got back from a day out and were sweaty and exhausted and with bags of shopping – did walking up to the 5th floor seem a sensible option! I can see why they put them in – or why people don’t like it when they aren’t there.

They also didn’t supply some of the basics needed for a kitchenette, so we had to go and buy all the missing things. So rather than the hotel buying bulk washing-up liquid for example and decanting it into the rooms when you arrived – they didn’t offer this – therefore forcing everyone who came here to go and buy their own.

Now, there were 41 self-catering rooms in our building and some people stayed for a few days, a week or 2 weeks. So it is possible that in the 2 weeks we were there over 100 visitors have had to go and buy washing-up liquid and scourers, etc…… And of course – the containers are too big for such a short time, so did people throw them away when they left!

So, Finally:
It’s alright to say that we should mention these things to our hotel or the stores involved, but many of it falls on deaf ears as I found out! Many hotels cannot afford to make the changes and many see no need as we readily accept what is there.

Over the years people have learnt to expect certain things and accept certain things, and so for a few decades yet, things won’t change. Unless you specifically book into a newly built eco lodge, energy-saving and environmentally advantageous things won’t be as standard. (And why visit a new-build when there were plenty of existing hotels about in the first place?)

Some things won’t change due to accessibility laws: for example, the lifts will have to remain for those with prams or wheelchairs; and the air conditioning for those who are old or young or otherwise unable to tolerate high temperatures.

We need to make some things ‘dirty’ like dropping litter and smoking in restaurants have been to make more people a bit more thoughtful when it comes to using the resources in hotels.

The National History Museum in London has put signs on their lifts suggesting, in a very polite way, that healthy people should really be using the stairs instead. A great start.

posted by Catherine on Sep 6

How can you stay healthy abroad when you try to be eco friendly?

I recently returned from a trip to somewhere a lot warmer than I was used to and I found that I broke nearly all the normal rules of eco friendly living!

We all know that it is not always possible to act as green as you usually do when away from home – but I found myself slipping up on holiday with many basic health issues. And I am a hardened eco girl!  However traveling with no-so-eco people made it harder.

Cold Drinks!
No matter how well prepared we thought we were, we nearly always needed to buy cold bottled drinks when we were out.

We had taken a thermos flask to keep our own drinks cool which we prepared in the rooms before we left – but we were not able to ever carry enough cold materials. This then resulted in us buying bottle after bottle of ice cold drinks.

This had more than 1 thing wrong with it as well.

1) It had to be cold otherwise it wouldn’t stop us from over-heating – so therefore it had to be kept chilled in the stalls and cafes we brought them from.

2) It was nearly always a small ‘handy’ size bottle as they tended not to keep or chill the larger bottles.

3) The stalls didn’t offer many brands that were not international brands. Some were bottled in the country but most weren’t – so we were feeding global companies.

4) There were very few recycling facilities by these stalls so once drunk (straight away as we were so hot) if it wouldn’t fit in our bags – it had to be thrown in the normal litter bin.

Air-Conditioning:
I know how bad using the air coolers are – and I rarely like to use them anyway – but other tourists have demanded them over the years and so they are ever present.

Annoyingly as well, retail customer service also seems to entail that stores leave their doors open to seem ‘welcoming’ so allowing all the cool air to flow out into the streets. Additionally, stores that didn’t have air-con were chilling all the western foods like chocolate (in mini but open fridges) so that we would feel more at home.

It felt awful to have been a part of creating that. However, it was virtually impossible to avoid stores that were using too much energy as nearly every store was doing so – and walking to a more environmentally conscious store to make me feel better would have physically made me feel worse – as it was so hot!

And no doubt I would have had to have brought another cold drink on arrival and then risk my shopping being ruined or melted by the heat while I walked home!

What To Eat?
While we did try our hand at the local foods and the local restaurants, we were self-catering and so had the opportunity to eat what we wanted – however not being at home or having the luxury of our normal kitchen equipment, we found ourselves buying small packets of pre-packed items rather than larger and fresher bulk items.

We also ate out a few times, only to find ourselves looking for the most frequented destinations – which happened to be filled with other tourists.

And to a certain extent the local products had no ethical buying chain that I could check out. I mean buying a locally made pizza slice could have a whole ‘bad’ process behind it.

For example, I had no way of finding out if all the ingredients were imported and if so where from. How were they cooked, stored or transported? How were the animals treated before they were used for my topping? Was it better to buy a western brand that I knew was flown across the globe but had acceptable preparation standards – or buy unbranded foods that could have been created with meat that was not ethically sourced, for example?

My Eco Dilemma continues in a few days with Part 2

posted by Catherine on Aug 14

Welcome to the second part of this article – so I’ll get straight on with it.

Now, think about the alcohol.  What if half the people on your plane were carrying a 2 liter bottle of alcohol they had brought cheap at the airport to drink on holiday?  Just imagine the extra weight involved for the plane to take off. 

And – as people expect to be able to buy duty-free on the plane as well – the airline will be carry liters and liters of the stuff themselves – just in case!  Make sure you aren’t the people who buy it from them – it only means that they will keep supplying it.

Anyway – it would probably only cost people a few extra $’s at most to buy brand name or generic versions of their favorite alcohol at their destination (helping the local economy as well – rather than the global airport firms). 

And most travellers probably haven’t even thought that the extra cost in fuel will no doubt be added to costs elsewhere on the flight – or onto the airline ticket prices for the following year!

So, to help the planet out, follow a few simple guidelines here.

1) Don’t buy your duty free goods on the plane – that way airlines will stop carrying it.  They won’t carry things that never sell.  It just doesn’t make good business sense.

2) If you need to buy your alcohol or perfume before your trip – then buy them at the airport instead.  Then you are not encouraging the plane to carry them – and so in the future – only the drinkers themselves carry these on board rather than the airline carrying enough for everyone!

3) Many airports offer a service where they hold your purchases at your departure airport for you to collect on your return.  This will save you carrying fragile bottles around the airport with you there and back.  Think about using this service for anything you buy duty-free unless it is vital to your vacation. 

4) Some airports even have a tax-free store on the arrivals side – so you can buy your cheap products just as you set off for home – having carried nothing all the way.  Not every airport does this and they don’t hold as many items – but if you research your airport before flying you could save all the agro of carrying everything on the plane – as well as the extra fuel.

Multiply these ‘savings’ up to the other 500 passengers on the plane – and we are getting somewhere!

Add this to the other 500 planes that leave that day – and we will start to see some real changes, and you could be a part of that!

posted by Catherine on Aug 11

Could 1 liter of Bells Whiskey & an extra large bottle of Tommy increase your carbon emissions?

I think that they could if they were tax-free goods you brought at your departure airport!  Then multiply that up by everyone who ever travelled on a plane this week – and that’s some serious extra emissions right there!

We always talk about the little things adding up – and so it is your responsibility to help take those first tiny steps towards the solution.  It may put you out a little bit and mean that you have to plan a bit further ahead than others – but it is all worth it in the end.

So, What Am I Talking About?
Well, for just this 2-part article I am going to be focusing on the extra weight we might be taking onto a plane with us, just because we aren’t really thinking about the bigger picture. 

For example, planes use more fuel the more weight they carry – and we all have a maximum baggage weight when we check in so that’s a given.   Only we can make things worse from here.  Say we buy loads more stuff in duty free and then take it on the plane – are we making things worse?

What if we all refused to buy canned drinks on planes – how much weight could we save them?

What if we boycotted the sale of tax-free alcohol on flights – would it make a difference to our trip?

It is certainly obvious that the sale of glass bottles of perfumed water are just wasting valuable fuel – so why do planes still carry them?

The Answer?
Us – it’s all our fault.  We buy these things (even if only occassionally) and that is why they stock them on board.  Products on airplanes are exactly the same as in stores – if people ask for them – they get stocked.  If people buy them – they order more.

You might only have ever brought one thing on a plane, but there were about 500 other people on that flight too – and on the 30 other flights that morning that left the same airport.

So lets just think about the impacts of just 2 things here that could help to reduce your impact on your future flights.

Duty Free Alcohol & Perfume:
As soon as you get to the airport and through to the lounges – many people head for the duty free stores to get cheap alcohol and some tax-free perfumes.

Both are in glass containers and contain liquid – both of which are very heavy for their size.  Therefore this extra weight is now coming all the way to your destination with you – weighing the plane down. 

And in the case of the purfume, we usually want to savethe most money possible – so we buy ourselves a jumbo sized bottle of our favorite scent.  And we are well aware that even a well-worn scent in a normal sized bottle will last us several months – so why on earth are we buying the largest bottle we have ever seen – and taking it away with us on a 2 week vacation – we can’t expect to use it all while we are away!

Therefore, the whole thing is going to be carried all the way to your destination, left in the room the whole time we are there – then it will be coming all the way home with you – minus a few squirts!  And it is fragile, so could get smashed at any point anyway.

Think of the energy it takes to do that, all the extra care you take with it and it hasn’t added to your trip at all – in fact probably got on your nerves a bit.

Well, read Part 2 to find out how you could still get your favorite smell without all the hassle…..

posted by Catherine on Aug 6

Are you working for a company that are looking to save money without losing staff?

Then why not offer to help them by taking 6 months off to work in an orphanage in Africa or rescue wildlife in Central Asia?

Maybe your company haven’t thought of letting staff take reduced or unpaid time off to help save money. So why not tell them?

How Will It Help My Bosses?
When your company pay your wages, they also have to pay other contributions on your behalf as well as many other expenses that you may not have really though about.

So, when you take unpaid leave – you could be saving them more than just your salary. I’m not talking pensions, petrol and other expenses here, I’m talking general costs.

Take the following things as examples:

Toiletries: Toilet paper, tissues, soap, dryers are all used on a daily basis by all staff, running up energy bills and paying companies to do the dirty work.
Cafeterias: Ordering, cooking, preparing, eating and disposing of food and drinks isn’t cheap – and there is always waste. If your company know they have less staff, they can cut down on deliveries and reduce waste.
Other Vending: Water coolers, hot drink machines and food vending machines can all be re-filled less often if there are less staff – therefore lower costs of maintenance and staff to refill them.
Stationery: I know people will still need to use stationery even while you are away, but there will be a noticable reduction in use if there are less people in the office. For one: there will be less people to leave notes for – so your Post-It notes use will drop! Less pens will get ‘lost’ or taken home by accident, less email to print, etc……

Other Benefits To Your Bosses:
If they can reduce outgoings with reduced wages then they may well be able to stay in business and pull through the current financial crisis. Therefore – you are actually helping to make sure that you keep your job!

Your gap year may also help you to learn new skills and bring them back to the company on your return. For example, many developing countries have to learn to make do with less – and the skills and techniques that you pick up while working abroad could really benefit the company on your return.

You may even find that the skills that you bring back to your role are better and more usefull and applicaple in this changing climate – possibly even giving you better propects on your return!

However, make sure you check the details before you leave to make sure that you return to your role exactly as you left it – otherwise a great trip could be followed by a heavy thud back down to earth!

posted by Catherine on Jul 26

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Did you know that climbing Ayers Rock is offensive to the locals?

So is calling it Ayers Rock if you think of it.  And so is calling the people that live there ‘the locals’.

But, how often do you read up about indigenous cultures and beliefs before you set of on your green holidays?  How many countries have you already been to that you didn’t really know anything about?

We need to be more considerate of other cultures and religions before we traipse around their villages and ‘sites’.

Ayers Rock In Australia:
Recently, this large red sandstone formation in Northern Territory is becoming known by it’s ‘original’ name of Uluru – as according to the 2 Aboriginal tribes in the area: the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara.

For years tourist have driven to the middle of the ‘Outback’ to see and climb this giant ‘rock’, not having a clue that it is extremely disrespectful to the local people to do so.

Yes, there is a path to the top, with a loose handrail hammered into the stone itself to help you on your way – but it doesn’t mean that we ever had any right to just clamber all over it.

To tourists it’s just an public Australian natural landmark – just like a mountain or something – and therefore it is assumed that we have a right to do what we want to it.  However, to people from the Pitjantjatjara or Yankunytjatjara it is like a church or other sacred or personal building.

Turning this on it’s head then is like tourists coming to London and climbing up the side of Westminster Abbey and sitting on the roof eating lunch.  Or hacking a path across the faces of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

What would you think of that?

Another World Heritage Site At Risk?
Tongariro in New Zealand is also a place where traditional Maori culture has been ‘taken over’ by tourists.

In 1887 a local Maori chief gave the volcanic peak and the surrounding region to Queen Victoria so that it would be protected for the future – but other tribes in the area are now hoping to claim it back and stop tourists walking all over it!

Apparently the local chief who gave it away was only one of the many chiefs that worshipped and revered the volcanic peaks of this area – and now the others are trying to have their say as they want to keep their cultural rights alive and give the region the respect it deserves.

What can you do?
Before traveling to areas where indigenous people still live and work – find out a bit about them.

Find out how to act in their prescence, how to react to their questions and what not to do!  The latter is probably the most important.

Find out a few words in their language as well so that you can let them know that you planned to visit them and wanted to make the effort to be welcomed – rather than get dragged there by a tour guide and offend them left right and center with your behaviour.

Mistakes could be a simple as keeping your shoes on in buildings, showing your bare soles to elders, pointing, baring your shoulders and all sorts of other everyday things in our culture!

It only takes a second to offend someone – so take care not to!

posted by Catherine on Jul 16

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What should you do if you see captive wild animals in poor conditions when abroad?

There are many cultures in the world that have a certain disregard for captive animals – but all the more saddening when it is wild caught animals that are used to get ‘tourist dollars’.

Many cultures are associated with certain traditions – such as bear dancing and ‘pet’ monkeys but these have been made worse by people asking for and paying for sights like these as the norm.  Of course, there are many captive wild animals that we will pay to go and see – but you need to make sure that you and other travellers have the animals interests in mind rather than just your own.

I recently went to an adventure park in Mexico that happened to have animals there as well and I was appalled at the conditions of some of the animals and made sure that I reported this to my hotel and the tourist office I booked the trip through.

The conditions were not so terrible that it needed to be taken further on this occasion - but if all the people before me had reported this before I visited, then the animals may well have been in better enclosures by now – or the park may well have been taken off the tourist route.

Voting With Your Dollar!
Tourist destinations depend on tourist like you visiting their sites and attractions and spending your money locally – so if the service they offer isn’t worth paying for then make sure you tell someone.  That way you could save all the animals involved a life in harsh conditions – but you could prevent hundreds of people after you from paying for the same ‘pleasure’!

When you read about a local area, the guide books only recommend those places that attract huge numbers of people to them as they must therefore be ‘good’.  But what if everyone is coming away disappointed?  Who will know unless they all tell someone?

It’s not worth keeping it to yourself either – as if you don’t tell a certain establishment what they are doing that has driven you away – they can’t do anything to rectify it.

How can we expect destinations to improve if we don’t tell them what we expect from them?

What To Do If It’s Really Bad:
If, however, you find animals in such appalling conditions that you just have to do something about it then your best bet is the Born Free Foundation.

They have a multitude of ways in which they can investigate wildlife crime and negotiate better conditions for animals.  Whether they were just tiger cubs  in a ‘zoo’ taken from their parents for ‘cute photos’ or whether they are fully grown tigers in a tiny cage above a bar in Greece – if f you feel it is abuse then take the first step to resolving that issue.

Animals can’t speak for themselves – but your money and your actions can.  Just like payed conservation in reverse – if you pay for it – they just keep doing it.

Visit www.bornfree.org.uk for more details or to support their work – or email on zoocheck@bornfree.org.uk.

Thank you in advance.

posted by Catherine on Jul 9

Plan Your African Adventure With A Volunteer Organisation Based There.

Rather than look for a trip to Africa with a global company – why not make a bee-line for someone who has been working there – and only there.

I spoke to the company myself and asked them a few questions about their ethics and eco friendly policies – and you can read their answers for yourself:

What Is African Impact All About?
At African Impact, we see ourselves as the on-the-ground AFRICAN SPECIALISTS in volunteer travel. Whether it be a summer break, a gap year, a well earned holiday or a career break we have something for you. 

Established in 2004, we are proudly African-based and have our busy Head Office in Cape Town, South Africa. We also have supporting operations offices in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This year we were proudly recognized as the 2009 World Travel Awards finalists for our involvement in Volunteering in Africa so far.
  
Our Mission Statement:
African Impact is a volunteer travel organisation that works towards establishing meaningful programs throughout Africa for a positive and measurable impact on local communities and conservation efforts.

African Impact aims to promote and actively consign volunteerism for various projects in Africa. As a result, we generate income to sustain and provide ongoing support and resources for community and conservation initiatives across Africa.

What Ethical Guidelines Are Most Important To You?
We aim to be an ambassador of responsible tourism and endeavour to increase the positive impact of our volunteers and operational practices on the social, cultural and physical environment within our operating countries. 
 
What Sets African Impact Apart From Other Companies?
In 2008 we launched a UK-registered Charitable Trust, The Happy Africa Foundation which is our supporting arm for the sustainable and accountable manner in which we aspire to manage our projects.
 
In addition to this we have founded the UK-registered ALERT Trust (African Lion and Environmental Research Trust) to facilitate the expansion of our lion rehabilitation and release into the wild project as well as to raise awareness for conservation efforts in Africa. 
 
In 2009 we were 2009 World Travel Awards finalists, which The Wall Street Journal refers to as the travel industry’s equivalent of The Oscars.

WYSE Travel Confederation is a not-for-profit industry association dedicated to making travel experiences affordable, accessible and exciting for young people worldwide. African Impact is a proud member of this organization and through our association with WYSE we seek to enhance the sustainability of our projects through volunteering forums and interaction with other leaders in our niche of the tourism industry.

How are your Staff qualified to assist?
The African Impact team of office and field staff is made up of people with vast experience living, working and travelling in Africa. 

Our team members have an unparalleled passion and enthusiasm for their work.  Many of our assistant field workers are past volunteers who came to Africa and are yet to leave!

We subject all our projects to careful sustainability planning with clear and measurable goals and objectives, as well as collaborative focus with our local partners. In addition our project managers submit detailed quarterly development reports to both African Impact and The Happy Africa Foundation.
 
What Sort Of Trips Do You Offer?
We offer a range of projects from short term through to much longer placements in any field from medical, teaching, wildlife conservation to sporting projects.

• Volunteer in South Africa for a Veterinary Clinic and Animal Rescue Center:
  From 2 weeks to 2 months – From $990
• Volunteer in Zimbabwe & Rehabilitate Lions & Their Cubs:
  From 2 weeks to 6 weeks – From $1800
• Volunteer in South Africa with Community Clinics & Child Day Care:
  From 2 weeks or longer – From $990
• Volunteer in South Africa with a Coastal Biological Research Course:
  4 week course – From $1520
• Volunteer in Mozambique for HIV & Aids Education:
  From 2 weeks or longer – From $1390
• Volunteer on a Great White Shark Research & Conservation Project!
  From 2 weeks to 2 months – From $1600

The list just goes on and on………..  Go to African Impact to see more.

posted by Catherine on Jul 3

How much paper is wasted while you are off on your vacation?

When you think of your trip away – I bet you don’t really think about it’s impact on the paper industry?

What I mean by this is that it isn’t just the tickets and the passport that are the only important tree-based items you need to worry about. For example do you think about your insurance documents or bank statements?

I thought not.

What Have My Statements Got To Do With Anything?
Well, while you are off on holiday, I don’t think you are going to be opening your post. Am I right? So why have you bank statements sent to your home? And why print out loads of mini statements from cash points around the world if you can check your bank account details online – from almost anywhere?

If you were traveling for a long time – like 4 weeks or more, why not make sure that everything was set up with your bank to check everything online. You can transfer money between your own accounts or you can pay off bills or credit cards from other accounts – all without a single piece of paper changing hands or getting folded up in your diary or rucksack.

And if you think online banking isn’t ‘safe’ – how secure so you think bits of paper are floating about your bag that you leave on top of buses or in your empty room while you are out exploring?

And, if you start using a ‘top-up credit card’ – where all the money is on it already – you don’t need statements printed out on headed paper – as you only have a certain amount on it in the first place. And, if it gets lost, you know that there is a maximum to your loss rather than the dread of some thief buying a Lear Jet with it!

What Else Can I Reduce?
Your Junk Mail can be stopped! If you are away on vacation – or whether you just want less junk mail anyhow – can stop all unsolicited mail! Think of the trees you could be saving – and the ink and energy and transport, etc.

You rarely need junk mail when you are at home anyway – but a build-up of junk mail out of your mail-box while you are away could also encourage thieves to investigate further! So get it cancelled! Apparently, the average American gets almost 560 pieces of junk mail delivered to them every year! This totals to about 100 million trees being used every 12 months just to produce the 4.5 million tons of pizza and diet pill flyers that clutter our mailboxes!

To help out here with normal mail – you can get your mail company to re-direct your mail to an alternative address for a short period of time or they may be able to store it for you until you return. That way, nothing sensitive will be sitting out there while you are away. For longer trips you can redirect your mail for up to 2 years to an alternative address at home or abroad.

You can also put a hold on most magazine subscriptions while you are away – therefore not returning home to a whole pile of out-of-date news – but having all those ‘missed’ newsletters or magazines added on to the the end of your current subscription. Also setting up any renewals by direct debit or in advance can save on all those company reminders letters being sent out for nothing.

Anything Else Here?
There are probably a whole host of other things relating to boring paperwork that you can plan better for while you are away – like not losing important documents that will need to be replaced or buying guidebooks you forget to take with you!

Things not even related to your actual trip can also help to make your vacation even more eco frindly – reducing your impact on the environment even further.