Heading to a coral reef destination soon? Download our free Reef-Safe Travel Guide to find more meaningful ways to connect with the local community and enjoy an ocean-friendly vacation.
With travel opening up, coral reefs that spent much of 2020 largely untouched by tourists are now seeing an influx of visitors who are eager to dive in. The return of travel is a lifesaver for local economies—but if it’s not done correctly, it could have devastating effects on the local natural environments that attract visitors in the first place and the communities who depend upon the coral reefs.
If you’re planning a trip to a coral reef destination—or any ocean destination—join the initiative to build back better by downloading our free ecotourism guide and taking steps to become an ocean-friendly traveler.
Download our Reef-Safe Travel Guide
Our free Reef-Safe Travel Guide is the perfect companion to your upcoming vacation. Its 12 pages are full of easy-to-implement tips that will help make your trip more sustainable AND more enjoyable.
Top Five Ways to Become a More Sustainable Traveler
We asked our CORAL team members to come up with their top-five ways to become an environmentally-friendly traveler, and this is what they came up with:
- Make the most out of your experience by connecting with the local community and supporting small, locally owned businesses.
- Avoid using single-use plastics and recycle whenever possible—the creation of single-use plastics releases harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change effects and threaten coral reefs.
- Be sure to pick up after yourself and leave only bubbles and footprints—when trash ends up on the beach or on the ocean, it poses a threat to wildlife.
- Leave the beach and reef as you found it by taking only memories and photos. For souvenirs, consider taking photos or supporting a local artist.
- Be a conscious explorer. The beauty of the local environment exists because everything around you is alive and delicate—do your part to keep the area as beautiful as when you found it!
Discover ways to connect with the local community, engage in more authentic and cultural experiences, and spend in a way that benefits the local economy. The 12-page guide includes tips on:
- Traveling in the time of COVID-19
- Choosing an environmentally friendly hotel
- Practicing sustainability during your stay
- Supporting the local community
- Exploring the local environment
- Diving and snorkeling in a reef-friendly way
- Becoming an eco-warrior from home
By becoming a more sustainable traveler and reducing your impact on the local environments and communities you visit, you can do your part to help keep coral reefs healthy and build a more secure future for the people who depend upon them. And you may even find your trip becomes more fulfilling and memorable!