Responsible Travel Portugal
What is Responsible Travel?
Overtourism is a growing concern. But the world is changing, and people’s mindsets are shifting and consciously are finally waking up.
The Responsible Travel goal is to create a sustainable travel economy that gives something back to communities. Responsible Tourism tries to both minimize and reverse the adverse effects of travel.
Responsible Travel in Portugal
Last four years, Portugal won different awards. The most important was the Best European Destination for Sustainable Tourism in 2019, ITB Berlin.
Although we are honored to win the award, we know there is always a lot to be done. Everyone must help! So, what can we do to be more sustainable as tourists?
How to Travel Responsibly in Portugal?
Read here our tips for Traveling Responsibly:
- Use e-tickets and PDFs for as many of your trip documents as possible.
- Before you leave the hotel, turn off all lights. Turn the heat or air conditioning off.
- Exploring new flavors in Portugal, and eating the local food.
- Plastic reduction: don’t use a plastic straw or plastic cup.
- Book small-tours packages – Limiting group sizes (average of 2 to 10 travelers).
- Read our tips before visiting Portugal. Learn some language, and don’t be afraid to use it – simple pleasantries will help break the ice. Keep practicing.
- Travel deeply! Don’t just snap a selfie and post it on social media. Explore, be curious, and experience the joy of travel with all your senses – then you’ll have something to share.
Incentive Local Economies in Portugal
Eco Trilha takes great pride in our effort to support local Portuguese communities. We are fully conscious that small family-run businesses are disappearing, and we must protect the small and authentic companies.
We support the community with locally sourced wine for tastings and products for sale. We visit places “off the beaten tourist trails” during the tour, thus spreading economic benefits for the countryside. During the cooking classes, we promote Portuguese Slow Food. The goals are to promote local small businesses, and the movement is against the globalization of agricultural products. And, the travelers only cook the traditional Portuguese dishes.
Sustainable Future
Our goal is to be sustainably responsible and travel clean to contribute to a greener, cleaner, and more equitable world. Therefore, You Book A Tour, We Plant A Tree.
Join Eco Trilha in 2022, and discover the magic in sustainable travel! Together, we will have the chance to visit and enjoy Nature. Please help us reduce the extent of climate change and mitigate many of its worst effects.
Why do we need more trees in Portugal?
Wherever you live, trees have many benefits.
- In the cities, trees help absorb air pollutants and cool the air in heatwaves.
- In the suburbs, trees enhance the value of open spaces for exercise and recreation, improving our physical and mental health.
- In the countryside, trees retain moisture in the soil and reduce the risk of both grass fires and floods.
However, we don’t want more eucalypts in Portugal! We want more native species. These are the native trees in Portugal:
- Stone Pine (Pinus pinea / Pinheiro Manso),
- Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster / Pinheiro-bravo),
- Cork oak tree (Quercus suber / Sobreiro),
- Holm Oak (Quercus rotundifolia / Azinheira),
- Mediterraniean Cypress (Cupresssus Semprevirens / Cipresetes Mediterranicos),
- Cedar (Cebrus Attantica / Cedro),
- Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo / medronheiro),
- Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica / Carvalho-negral),
- Olive tree (Olea europaea / Oliveira).
Join Eco Trilha, and discover the magic in sustainable travel! Together, we will have the chance to visit and enjoy Nature. Please help us reduce the extent of climate change and mitigate many of its worst effects.