10 Sustainable Travel Spots to Visit in 2024. No one will have to persuade 2024 tourists that they can make a difference in the fight against climate change. More and more studies are corroborated by the fact that 90% of customers seek sustainable solutions while traveling and that 75% of international travelers aim to travel more sustainably in the next year, demonstrating this awareness. Destinations that invest in sustainability in the tourism industry and beyond can help close the intention-behavior gap, which numerous sustainable tourism studies have found. Meanwhile, places recovering from disasters or instability can also benefit from mindful tourism, which helps ensure a more sustainable future for these areas.
Here are ten locations that will be greeting eco-friendly tourists in 2024, ranging from those that are pioneering new forms of green space to others that are preparing to receive visitors again after a tragic event.
1. Valencia, Spain
The European Green Capital Award is presented annually to a city that has demonstrated a strong and continuous dedication to enhancing the environment and the quality of life for its inhabitants and tourists. Valencia was the lucky winner this year. The Mediterranean city is proud of its 500 hectares of green space and is working towards getting all its power from renewable sources by 2025. One of its new urban parks, Parque Central, connects neighbourhoods once separated by an underground railway. Green areas in th
is city also include Huerta, a network of 120 square kilometres of farms providing food to local markets and restaurants, cutting down on the environmental impact of eating out and cooking at home. Valencia, a reasonably flat city with 200 km of bike lanes, has better mass transit options and pedestrian spaces, making it easier to travel around. Parque Natural de Albufeira, home to many bird species, and Turia Natural Park, bordered by paths and natural pools, are two national parks that visitors can reach by bike (or public transportation) that surround the city.
2. High Atlas Mountains and Marrakesh, Morocco
In September 2023, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit central Morocco, killing over 2,900 people and destroying 50,000 dwellings, most of which were located close to the epicentre in the High Atlas Mountains, close to Marrakech. Record tourist numbers in 2023 attest to the resiliency of Morocco’s tourism industry. However, hotels in Marrakech, primarily unaffected, have seen a decline in bookings, and the artisans whose businesses were damaged in the ancient medina are still waiting for help. Even though parts of the old medina are still closed, the spice-scented lanes are just as evocative as before the earthquake. The city’s principal attractions, such as the Bahai and El Badi palaces, Secret Garden, and Saadian Tombs, have all reopened.
Even though it is premature to return to specific sections of the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains while communities recover, Abercrombie & Kent is one of several tour operators assisting with the region’s revival by venturing to the less-affected areas, like the Ourika Valley, a famous trekking spot. Among the four new Morocco itineraries announced by Intrepid Travel for 2024 is a journey to the High Atlas Mountains’ Happy Valley, aka the Ait Bougmez region.
Saba, Dutch Caribbean
Saba, the minuscule tropical island and the tiniest particular municipality in the Netherlands, is quickly becoming a leader in ecotourism in the Caribbean. Saba has its water bottling plant, a marine park that encircles the island (with excellent diving), a comprehensive recycling system, a solar park that produces 35-40% of the island’s power needs, and a ban on single-use plastics. Rendezvous, a restaurant in Windwardside, has a hydroponics garden that consumes 80% less water than traditional growing methods. This helps to lessen the island’s reliance on its valuable resources.
Mission Blue, a worldwide marine conservation organization, designated the Saba Bank, the biggest undersea atoll in the Atlantic Ocean, as a Hope Spot in 2023. This designation recognizes locations scientifically determined to the ocean’s health. Applied research is carried out at Saba’s first marine lab in the Windward Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. Throughout the year, locals and visitors are
engaged in environmental projects by the long-standing Sea & Learn Foundation, including night hikes to identify fluorescing scorpions and measuring the growth rates of endemic orchids.
Snorkelers and scuba divers often encounter a wealth of reef fish, including brilliantly coloured Nassau groupers, while hiking trails around the rocky volcanic island are adorned with luxuriant vegetation. Birdlife International has designated the entire coastline as an Important Birding Area in a move that will delight ornithologists.
4. Singapore
The fabled path to sustainability in Singapore began in 1967 with the proposal of then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s “city in a garden” concept. After more than half a century of conscientious city planning, which included the development of over 300 kilometres of green corridors as part of the Park Connector Network, Singapore was the first country in the world to get sustainable destination certification in 2023. With this certification, the Southeast Asian nation shows dedication to its Singapore Green Plan 2030 goals for sustainable development. These goals include reducing landfill waste by 20% by 2030, limiting the registration of new cars to cleaner-energy models from 2030, and quadrupling solar energy deployment by 2025.
The 24km hiking-biking Rail Corridor, set to open to the public in 2024, is one of the new and forthcoming attractions that locals and visitors alike will enjoy. Other improvements include upgrading 13 parks in the south and adding two paths to the Coast to Coast Trail network. Early in 2024, seven additional MRT (metro) stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line will be inaugurated in Singapore.
Green Mark Platinum-certified Pan Pacific Orchard, a “hotel in a garden” that opened in 2023 with innovative efforts (such as a biodigester that turns food waste into cleansing water), is a unique low-impact lodging choice for guests at the Parkroyal Collection Pickering.
5. Belfast, UK
There were 172 signatures from the UK’s tourist industry to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in tourist, launched at COP25 in 2021; the US had 73 signatories, making it the second-strongest supporter. In 2023, Belfast rose from 47th to 11th place in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, an 18-month rise, making it one of the UK cities most committed to sustainability. A white paper released by Green Tourism, a sustainability certification organization located in Edinburgh, now holds the capital of Northern Ireland up as an example of excellence.
More than 90 hotels, attractions, and restaurants have committed to sustainable tourism through Visit Belfast’s internationally recognized Green Tourism program since the 2021 launch of the Belfast Resilience Goal, which aims to create an inclusive, zero-emissions, climate-resilient economy within a generation. This is an increase from five in 2021, resulting in 75% of hotel rooms in Belfast holding a sustainability certification, up from 25% in 2021.
The Titanic Belfast museum and hotel, located in the historic building that was once the headquarters of Harland and Wolff—the shipbuilders of the RMS Titanic—are two of the most visited sites in Belfast that have received Green Tourism certification. However, The museum plans to achieve zero waste by 2030. One convenient and environmentally friendly way to get around town is via Belfast Bikes, which has over 50 docking stations.
6. Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
About 90% of the two million people who visit the Great Barrier Reef every year stay in the tropical northern cities of Townsville and Cairns. However, the Southern Great Barrier Reef offers some of the best low-impact ways to explore this environment, which stretches 2,300 km.
Lady Elliot Island, a sanctuary for manta rays near the southern extremity of the reef, has been transformed from a guano-mined coral cay abandoned to feral goats into one of the leading eco-resorts in Australia, powered by renewable energy sources. Lady Musgrave Experience, which has Advanced Ecotourism and Climate Action certifications from Ecotourism Australia, offers day tours and overnight glamping experiences on uninhabited Lady Musgrave Island, just 40km northeast as the crow flies.
Bundaberg, the northern region’s primary mainland port and a recipient of Ecotourism Australia’s sustainable destination certification for 2023, is the departure point for all tours. During the nesting and hatching season (November to March), rangers from the state-of-the-art Mon Repos turtle education centre lead tours where visitors can see turtles in their natural habitat. Additionally, the recently launched Taribelang Bunda Tours provide opportunities to connect with ancient sustainability practices through Indigenous-guided experiences.
In 2023, the Bundaberg Rum Visitor Experience became the first tourist operator in Australia to earn Ecotourism Australia’s new Sustainable tourist Certification. The location, known for its calm agricultural atmosphere, also provides a variety of farm gate and cellar door experiences.
7. Panama, Central America
Panama, which granted turtles legal rights in 2023, is now gaining attention as a pioneer in community-based tourism, joining Costa Rica as a leader in sustainable tourism in Central America. Tourists have long focused on Panama City and its famous canals despite the country being home to a wide variety of Indigenous cultures (who make up around 14% of the population) and abundant biodiversity.
Indigenous and rural communities in Panama now offer tourists a chance to learn more about the country’s verdant woods and palm-fringed islands from locals. Visitors can now book local-guided adventures in mostly unexplored regions through the newly launched SOSTUR digital portal. These adventures range from learning about the legends of the warriors and guardians of Dekö island from an Indigenous Ngöbe guide to visiting the Naso (also known as Tribe) communities who have lived in the jungles of north-western Panama since Spanish colonizers arrived.
As part of its US$301 million Sustainable Tourism Development Master Plan, the Panamanian government is constructing the portal and intends to keep it until 2025. To increase tourism in a way that puts people and the environment first.
8. Maui, United States
The devastating flames that struck the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023 sent shockwaves across the globe. They killed at least 115 people, destroyed over 2,200 structures, and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. In the days after the disaster, numerous locals warned visitors to avoid the area. But now that officials are pleading with tourists to return responsibly, businesses like hotels, restaurants, and tour operators have been forced to lay off workers, and the jobless rate has skyrocketed.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has ordered the closure of Lāhainā until further notice due to substantial damage on the island’s northwest shore. Before arranging a trip, guests should investigate adjacent areas like Kā’anapali, Nāpili, and Kapalua for lodgings. However, The uncharted region remains on the island’s wild east side. The 103-kilometer Road to Hana winds through wild beaches, magnificent waterfalls, and leafy trails. At road marker 31, you can take a self-guided tour of the Hana Lava Tubes, so bring a lantern. Explore the “otherworldly” Hosmer Grove woodland in Hana in Haleakalā National Park. Find local businesses to support on Maui Nui First.
9. Greenland
Greenland’s sustainable tourism efforts paled for a long time compared to those of the lower Nordic states. However, as it faces its frozen territory’s future and burgeoning tourism business head-on, Greenland is also taking measures to protect itself. In 2020, EarthCheck designated Nuuk as a sustainable tourist destination, making it the first capital city in the world to do so. As a matter of sustainability, Visit Greenland declared in 2022 that it would no longer support conventional cruise tourism. In 2023, they invited the tourism sector to join them in a shared commitment to developing responsible and sustainable tourism.
Operators should support the commitment’s five tenets, which include promoting local goods and creating seasonal attractions to attract tourists year-round as Nuuk prepares to welcome a new international airport in 2024.
The government-run energy business Nukissiorfiit aims to produce 100% green energy by 2030 after Greenland banned future oil and gas development in 2021. The focus currently is on rolling out renewable energy. In 2024, the churches of Nuuk will be powered by green energy, expected to save 127 tonnes of CO2.
Illulissat, home to the world-class Icefjord Centre, is a great way to get out of the city and explore the surrounding area, and it will soon have its airport. Try some musk ox burgers and watch for the “Authentic Nunavut” sticker, which certifies crafts manufactured by Nunavut Inuit to support sustainable local businesses. Your support will go a long way in this island nation.
10. Dominica, Lesser Antillies
Following the 2017 category-five hurricane that battered the tiny island nation in the Caribbean
“The world’s first climate-resilient nation” is the goal that Dominica’s prime minister has publicly stated. Already home to the longest hiking route in the Caribbean, the island is promoting itself as a sustainable tourist destination by constructing early-warning systems and resilient housing to protect inhabitants.
More than 60 kilometres long, the Waitukubuli Sea Trail is the first sea kayaking trail in the Caribbean. It hugs the island’s stunning west coast. Following the island’s western coast from south to north, it passes through friendly towns, quiet beaches, breathtaking landscapes, and delicious regional cuisine. Wes Moses, a veteran of the Caribbean Peace Corps who settled in Dominica in 2018, is the trail’s inspiration. In 2022, he established Soufriere Outdoor Centre on the island’s southwestern shore. Along the 14 sections of the path, he has partnered with coastal motels to build a network of accommodations. Along the way, hikers can enjoy cultural experiences and land-based excursions.
