Green Tourism

Go to Local Directory of places to stay, places to visit and green holiday ideas in Monmouthshire

We don’t expect you to stay at home all the time, but remember that most travel consumes non-renewable energy and apply some of the other green tips . Strike a balance between holidays overseas and those nearer home, and offset your carbon emissions (see our Green Transport section).

Tourism can bring benefits to host economies and societies, but often has negative economic, cultural, social and environmental consequences. Tourism Concern’s Ethical Travel Guide lists places to visit and stay in over 60 countries. Green Globe is a worldwide certification programme for sustainable tourism, and the Travel Foundation is working to improve sustainability in the UK.  A useful web site is www.ecofriendlytourist.com. 

Read about your holiday destination before you go and then respect local customs, dress codes and behaviour; donate to projects rather than beggars; buy locally at a fair price (even be a little generous).

You may reach your destination by plane or car, but once there, consider walking, cycling, riding, or just staying put for some of the time. Many enjoy activity holidays during which they contribute to environmental improvement - BTCV and the National Trust offer these.

Many tourism businesses are trying to be greener too – some local ones are in our directory – so they deserve your support. The notice about not changing your towels every day is green not mean. Do you have fresh towels every day at home?