Can wallet-friendly travel be eco-friendly, too?

It's one of the issues of our time. We're desperate to travel, but know it comes at an expense - not just to our wallets but also the planet. Most of us want to limit our holiday's environmental damage, but we also have bills to pay. A recent study for Booking.com found 58 per cent of Australian travellers believe sustainable travel is too expensive. The planet does, however, thank the 36 per cent who stated they'd pay extra for sustainable options. But do they need to?

It can be tricky, says Karstan Horne, CEO of Reho Travel, the world's first travel management company with B Corp status: "From a hotel point of view, it's likely the better the hotel the more effort they're putting into sustainability. If it's a five-star sustainable hotel, they are going to have so many more initiatives than a cheaper hotel."

There are, however, easy options for those seeking value and vision. "Accor has a range, from basic hotels through to the top end, and really good sustainability initiatives throughout the whole company," he says. That includes its affordable addresses, including Ibis Budget and Jo&Joe.

On Booking.com, travellers can compare the prices of eco-friendly initiatives to weigh up options, says Laura Houldsworth, the company's managing director, Asia Pacific.

"More than 500,000 properties globally, including 9000 in Australia, are now recognised for their sustainability efforts with a Travel Sustainable Badge, a credible, globally inclusive measure that is accessible for all kinds of properties," she says.

But it's from small group adventure companies that independent travellers might find inspiration. Intrepid Travel is a leader in sustainability and offers more than 230 Basix trips that offer big bang for the travel buck.

"Intrepid believes in travelling the local way," explains its global environmental impact manager, Dr Susanne Etti, "and that means using public transport, where possible, on our tours. Not only is this better for the environment, but it also helps keep costs down and offers travellers a true glimpse into life in the country they're visiting."

A local focus underpins Intrepid's philosophy, and anyone can borrow their ideas. In-country teams, says Dr Etti, work with locally owned businesses to build tours. This includes employing local guides, staying in family-owned hotels and eating at locally owned restaurants and cafes.

"There are so many small actions travellers can take to be more sustainable," she says. "Travelling closer to home and using ground transport, such as trains, is [one]. We're so lucky in Australia because we can have an incredible adventure right here in our own country. And my big one: pack your reusable water bottle and water filtration tablets to reduce the use of single-use plastic. Remember, nobody's perfect but small actions can have a big impact."

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