Sustainable travel, eco-tourism, responsible travel, green travel, voluntourism, community-based tourism—all of these are terms used to describe the changing face of the travel market.

People are on to the fact that travel can leave one of the largest carbon footprints, but still want to see the world. So companies like Planeterra, Intrepid Travel, and Global Exchange Reality Tours are offering these options to the green traveler.  And the variety of ways to travel sustainably are endless.

I spoke to Liz Manning of Planeterra, the non-profit founded by G.A.P. Adventures, about the sustainable travel trend. According to Manning, business is up in the sustainable travel market, despite the economic crisis.

She credits this to the fact that many people will use unemployment as a time to finally do that world-travel, while those who are employed are more likely now to want to give back and do something positive while they travel. 

While the price of a sustainable tour versus a conventional tour is comparable, people are looking for more value in their travel.

Green it Up!
The eco part of eco-tourism and green travel can include purchasing carbon credits to offset your travel (many tours will include this in the overall cost), traveling in smaller group sizes, participating in activities that leave the smallest footprint possible, awareness of historical and sacred sites, and doing volunteer work that benefits the environment.

Community-Based Travel
Most of the sustainable travel tours have a community-based component. For example, a tour in Zambia might involve one week of remodeling a school or teaching kids English, while the second week would involve sight-seeing, like a safari.

Some critics of this form of travel have called these community-based projects “contrived,” in order to give the tourists a sense of false contribution. However, in most cases, community projects are selected very carefully so as not to disturb local economy or cultural tradition and come out of genuine need. The word sustainable is very apt here, most of these companies strive to leave no impact, environmentally or culturally on the places they visit.

Demographics
I asked Manning what type of people chose this kind of travel, which can be strenuous and a bit out of the comfort zone. Her answer? All kinds! People in their 20s-60s, single female travelers who want more adventure and people to share it with, recent college graduates, and many families are also starting to do these kinds of trips together—kids are learning at an early age how to give back and live sustainably.

So if you’re yearning about an adventure of your own, check out the multitude of sustainable travel opportunities and pick one that’s right for you.