For travelers seeking sustainable tourism destinations, there are many options for summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. These destinations offer experiences that ensure a respectful relationship with the environment, access to heritage or community trails, and activities that promote human and environmental well-being.
France: music and nature
In Paris, until September 8, as part of the Festival in the Floral Park, there is Classical on the Green. It is a space for classical music in nature that includes concerts of chamber music, orchestral, vocal, recitals, and jazz. This makes it a very comfortable space of cultural sustainability for families, children, and tourist groups. The Floral Park initiative has very clear commitments to accessibility, gender parity, environmental protection, and inclusion. Daytime concerts are free, without reservation, only the park fee is required.
Italy, sustainable tourism and arts
In Cagliari, Italy, until August 4, takes place the International Festival of Sustainability-Open Gardens 2024. It is a meeting space for various arts, organized from the heart of the theater. Abaco Teatro has been building this proposal for 17 years. Its agenda proposes options to spread and connect through the culture of sustainability, embodied in theatrical performances, music, seminars, laboratories, exhibitions, and book presentations. This meeting suggests best practices to raise public awareness of sustainable lifestyles through the arts.
The Responsible Tourism Festival 2024 ITACÀ is an initiative awarded by the UN World Tourism Organization for its high levels of innovation and excellence in tourism. It will take place, until November, in eight regions: Umbria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Sicily, Sardinia, Lombardy, Puglia and Marche. Its proposal invites you to get to know natural places and cultural heritage sites responsibly, with the idea of more ethical and respectful tourism with the environment and the inhabitants of these cultural tourism routes.
Environmental Madrid
Until September, Madrid proposes an Agenda of environmental activities with multiple free options that require prior reservation. They are proposals designed for children, families, groups, and friends to enjoy sustainability in the summer through natural areas, parks, initiatives to learn about urban biodiversity, and bicycle mobility to approach the history and culture of the city, among other options.
Finland: nature and environmental responsibility
Nuuksio National Park is a wonderful natural setting with lakes, bogs and green forests. There, you can go camping, take long walks and learn about nature care through educational excursions coordinated with the Finnish Nature Center Haltia. Nuuksio is a highly recommended place to visit with children and learn about environmental responsibility. It offers Geocaching, a playful activity to find “treasures” guided by maps and GPS devices.
Slovenia and its Woodpeckers
Another natural option is Lake Cerknica in Slovenia, one of the largest intermittent lakes in Europe. It is a wetland where endangered birds that nest in the lake’s territory are preserved. Its forests are home to woodpeckers and 300 other species. You can go hiking, biking, boating and bird watching.
Sweden in autumn and winter
Abisko National Park is a natural choice in Sweden: in late autumn and winter you can see the northern lights and enjoy the polar night. In addition, in December it is possible to skate on Lake Torneträsk when it freezes over. The Naturum Visitor Center organizes environmental learning activities for children and young people.
Alaska and an environmental certification
Here it is advisable to look for options through Adventure Green Alaska, which is a voluntary certification for tourism businesses that comply with economic, social and environmental sustainability. One option is the Fjords National Park, which is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. There are gigantic rivers of ice and home to black bears and shorebirds. This park is also the site of scientific research and offers professional development for teachers and learning resources for the whole family.
Bolivia, Andean and Amazonian nature
Northwest of the city of La Paz, a place to visit is the Madidi National Park, one of the protected areas with a diversity of ecosystems, flora, and fauna best preserved in Bolivia. It includes the geographical and cultural meeting of the Andes and the Amazon. It has more than 8000 plants, that is, 60% of the Bolivian flora. In this natural space, you can also visit pre-Inca archaeological sites.
Coast Rica and its Rainforests
Costa Rica is one of the most famous sustainable tourism destinations in Latin America. It offers travelers the possibility to hike in the heart of the rainforest, between swampy forests and waterfalls, in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This rainforest allows you to walk the paths of the jaguar and the quetzal through trails with wonderful orchids, vines, and bromeliads.
If you want to learn more about sustainability, we recommend reading: Sustainable challenges in 2024 and Travelling without doing harm.
