6 Tips for a Sustainable Holiday in Barbados

While everyone loves to go on holiday, more of us are aware of the impact this can have on the environment and are seeking more sustainable ways to travel. In this post, we’ll give you some useful tips to ensure your next trip to Barbados is cleaner and greener.

1. Carbon offset your flights

One of the major environmental impacts of going on holiday is the CO2 emissions generated during the flight. While we don’t yet have the technology to travel long distances carbon-free, there are ways you can reduce the impact of your flight to Barbados.

The first thing you can do is take less luggage. The less you take, the lighter the plane will be and the less fuel it will need to burn during the journey. Another way to reduce your footprint is to take a direct flight. Not only will these get you there more quickly; you’ll travel shorter distances and thus produce less pollution.

If you want to dramatically lighten your carbon footprint, you can always pay to offset your flight. When you do this, the airline works out how much CO2 your journey will produce and then adds a surcharge which is invested in forestry projects or renewable energy in order to cut the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by the amount generated by your flights.

2. Hire an electric car

While Barbados might be small, per capita it is the third biggest user of electric vehicles in the world. In fact, you’re never more than 3 miles from a charging point and increasing numbers of these make use of the abundant sunshine to provide solar-powered charging. Today, you can hire electric cars when you visit, which means you can tour all over this fabulous island without making any impact what-so-ever on the environment.

3. Eat locally produced food

Dining out is an integral part of going on holiday but you can eat more sustainably when you buy locally sourced food. The reason for this is that the further your food has to travel to get to your plate, the bigger its environmental impact.

Luckily, in Barbados, you are spoiled for choice as much of our food is either grown on the island or caught off the local shore. Not only does it travel less, its use sustains the local economy. What’s more, we have some exceptional Bajan dishes that you’ll love to eat and some fabulous places to dine, like Oistins Friday Fish Fry, the prestigious Royal Westmoreland Beach Club or the stunning décor and menu at The Fusion.

4. Keep accommodation doors and windows closed

When travelling to hot places like Barbados, air conditioning is essential for your comfort, especially to help you get a good night’s sleep. One of the downsides of air conditioning is that it uses a lot of power. However, you can dramatically cut the amount of energy needed to keep your accommodation at a comfortable temperature by making sure the doors and windows are closed. This prevents the cool air escaping and reduces the amount of CO2 produced.

5. Little eco-friendly habits add up

There are numerous little things you can do that add up to help you have a more sustainable holiday. These include buying eco-friendly travel products, like suntan lotions, moisturisers and face washes to take with you. When there, try showering instead of having a bath and pick towels up from the floor so they stay clean and don’t need to be washed so frequently. If you wash clothes when in Barbados, use environmentally friendly washing products and dry things in the sun rather than using a tumble drier. Finally, remember to turn off the lights when you’re heading out.

6. Stay at a sustainable resort

Another great way to have an eco-friendly holiday in Barbados is to stay at a resort that makes an effort to be sustainable. At Royal Westmoreland, for example, you’ll find we do this without compromising on quality or luxury.

We have improved our sustainability in a number of ways. We’ve installed solar panels to power things like heating, use low-energy bulbs in all our accommodation and have fitted LED lighting across the resort. When it comes to saving water, we harvest rainwater to irrigate our new developments and monitor the water quality in our underground wells to ensure we can use it to irrigate our world-class golf course. We even put polite notices in our villas and apartments reminding guests how reusing towels can cut both water and power usage.

Additionally, to help reduce landfill and cut down on plastic waste, we’ve stopped using plastic straws in the resort, removed plastic from food and beverages and have installed multiple recycling points around our 750-acre resort. We are committed to becoming even more sustainable and are always looking for new ways to do this.

Summing up

Sustainability is an important issue that affects everyone and it is when we go away on holiday that we, perhaps, make our biggest environmental impact. Hopefully, the tips here will help you enjoy all the wonderful things Barbados has to offer in an eco-friendlier way.

If you require outstanding accommodation at a resort which is striving to be more sustainable, take a look at the exceptional villas and apartments here at Royal Westmorland.