Honeymoon

Whether your honeymoon takes you to a nearby rustic hideaway or on an extended journey to a luxurious retreat, there are several choices you can make with the earth in mind.

Ecotourism Lodging Transportation What About Cruise Ships?

Ecotourism

If you’re planning to get away from it all to enjoy your first days of marriage off the beaten path, you should be aware of the practice of ecotourism. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people." Founded in 1990, TIES is the largest and oldest ecotourism organization in the world with members in 70 countries. TIES offers a guide to ecotourism principles, as well as a searchable membership list of worldwide TIES members including tour operators, travel agents, lodgings and transportation services.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has a special interest in ecotourism as a component of its Sustainable Tourism initiatives. UNEP recognizes ecotourism’s “relationship with conservation, sustainability, and biological diversity,” and provides information about ecotourism and links to a number of ecotourism Web sites.

Conservation International (CI), an international organization with a mission to “conserve the Earth’s living heritage,” works in more than 40 countries on four continents. Their Ecotravel Center provides information on the “Biodiversity Hotspots” where CI focuses its efforts. CI does not arrange trips, but provides links to locally owned in-bound operators who can assist you with travel plans to specific sites.

National Geographic’s Sustainable Destinations Resource Center provides a wealth of resources concerning destination stewardship. The page for travelers contains links to responsible travel information, associations, and tour operators. National Geographic Expeditions offers high-end educational tours, many of which use operators pledged to sustainable practices.

Planeta.com is an informative news source and discussion site on ecotourism. Describing itself as “the global journal of practical ecotourism,” Planeta encourages travelers to “think smart, travel slow.” Planeta also offers a World Travel Directory of “eco-friendly and people-friendly travel around the globe.”

Each year, the Sierra Club Outings program operates more than 350 outdoor adventure trips to unique destinations around the world. Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club is America’s oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. All trips are designed to mesh with the organization’s mission to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet. Sierra Club Conservation Policies outline the organization’s guidelines for ecotourism and for conduct on Sierra Club trips.

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Lodging

An important way to express your commitment to the environment is by choosing a hotel or inn that supports green business practices. Many hotels are making efforts to lessen their environmental impact by saving water and electricity and by reducing solid waste.

One resource to help you identify green lodgings is the Green Hotels Association which “encourages, promotes and supports the ‘greening’ of the lodging industry” in a number of ways. Their Web site includes a directory of member hotels, as well as a summary of the steps that green hotels are taking to make a difference, such as offering guests the option to reuse their linens, cutting back on the use of disposable products, and installing energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems.

Green Seal, an independent non-profit organization that “strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion,” is committed to “greening the lodging industry.” Check their Web site for a list of Green Seal certified lodging properties.

Several major hotel chains have introduced green business practices into their operations. You can generally find out about a hotel chain’s environmental policies by checking its corporate Web site. An outstanding example of a green hotel chain is Kimpton, which implements a standardized EarthCare program of environmentally friendly product use and practices in all of its hotels. Kimpton has several environmental awards under its belt, and two of its properties have been nominated for the 2005 Outstanding Sustainable Style Awards - the 70 Park Avenue Hotel in New York City for its "overall commitment to social and environmental responsibility" and the Triton in San Francisco for its fun and stylish eco-celebrity suites.

In addition to their scenic beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities, national parks provide environmentally sensitive lodging options, from campsites to rustic cabins to luxurious resorts. Green Seal certified Aramark operates resorts in several national parks, as does Xanterra , a corporation that implements environmental policies through its Ecologix program. Search the National Park Service for park locations and view the National Park System Guide for an overview of recreational activities and visitor services in all U.S. national parks.

Another earth-friendly option is a vegetarian hotel or bed and breakfast. For the same reasons you may consider a vegetarian menu for your reception, vegetarian accommodations will help lessen your honeymoon’s impact on the earth’s resources. You will find vegetarian hotels and inns listed on our resources page. An Internet search for vegetarian lodgings will also produce an abundance of options. For first-hand hotel and dining experiences as described by vegetarian travelers, or to put out a feeler for lodging suggestions in a particular area, check out the Vegetarian Resource Group’s Travel Bulletin Board.

If you are not sure of the environmental policies of a particular hotel you are considering, check the property’s Web site or contact the management directly to inquire. If the hotel is green, the proprietor will no doubt offer that information proudly. If it is not, voicing your concerns may move the manager to pay closer attention to environmental issues. Upon check-in and check-out, use the Guest Request and Feedback cards provided by the Ceres Green Hotel Initiative to inform the hotel of your expectations and rate them on their environmental responsibility.

Remember, whether or not a hotel employs green practices, there are several steps that you can personally take to reduce consumption. The Green Hotels Association offers several green travel tips, among them letting housekeepers know that your sheets and towels do not need to be changed daily, cutting back on water used for showering, and leaving behind the little bottles of shampoo that you don’t use. Being a responsible hotel guest will make a difference!

To check out accommodations that welcome gay and lesbian guests, whether you are celebrating your own same-sex commitment or just want to be sure that a particular hotel is gay-friendly, take a look at StayWithPride. This Web site offers a comprehensive listing of gay and lesbian-friendly accommodations across North America. The Rainbow Wedding Network lets you search for gay-friendly vendors in a variety of categories including honeymoon lodging and travel.

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Transportation

Whether near or far, traveling to your honeymoon destination and getting around once you’re there will involve at least one mode of transportation. Environmental impacts of transportation result primarily from fuel consumption and related emissions. Selecting transport that limits these impacts, or finding a way to neutralize them, will be your honeymoon gift to the planet.

If you’re making a honeymoon getaway in your own car, make sure that it is properly maintained. A tune-up, oil change, clean air and oil filters, and properly inflated tires can increase your fuel economy. If using a rental car, inquire about availability of hybrids or other high-gas-mileage cars such as the Toyota Echo.

Far-away journeys generally call for other modes of transportation. Airplanes are the most popular way to travel because of their convenience, speed, and affordable airfares. But airplanes are also among the most serious threats to the environment. Their hefty greenhouse gas emissions contribute greatly to global warming.

One way to neutralize the environmental impact of your flights is by carbon offset. Online calculators are available to help you estimate your share of emissions and what it will take to offset them. The Climate Care organization’s calculator allows you to estimate and pay for the cost of offsetting your CO2 emissions by funding sustainable energy and reforestation projects. You can also offset emissions by supporting programs including Native Energy which builds Native American and farmer-owned renewable energy projects, and by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates and Green Tags listed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Green Power Network . The CarbonNeutral Company’s calculator estimates how many trees must be planted to make your flight carbon neutral. According to this calculator, a Los Angeles/Paris round trip requires three trees to offset each person’s share of the two tons of CO2 emitted. Some fun ways to sponsor tree-planting are through The CarbonNeutral Company’s Dedicate-a-Tree Scheme, Trees for the Future’s Tree Planting Kits, and The National Arbor Day Foundation’s Trees in Celebration.

A clean and fuel-efficient alternative to airplanes is train travel. Trains are widely used in Europe and Japan where systems are extensive. While not as commonly chosen for long trips within North America, trains serve hundreds of destinations and can be a fun, relaxing, and scenic way to go. Amtrak offers private sleeper options with self-enclosed restrooms and showers on long trips. Rail Canada offers a Romance by Rail package perfect for newlyweds, complete with fresh flowers, chocolates, and breakfast in bed in a spacious private suite.

Once you have arrived at your honeymoon destination, you may choose to burrow into your room and stay put for some quality time together! But if and when you decide to venture out, think about earth friendly options for getting around. Whenever possible, go on foot. Not only will you be treading gently on the planet, but you will also experience the locale and people more intimately. If you need to travel farther than your legs care to walk, see if bicycle rentals are available or ask about public transportation options which are generally very economical and provide a way to experience the area as the locals do.

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What About Cruise Ships?

Slow dancing in the moonlight on a romantic cruise through tropical waters or soaking up sunshine next to a sparkling pool, with endless miles of clear blue sea surrounding your elegant ocean liner may seem like a tantalizing prospect after months of diligently planning your wedding.

Unfortunately, in many instances within the cruise ship industry, there exists beneath this idyllic image a reality of environmental and social negligence. According to The Academy of Natural Sciences, there are now over 200 cruise ships on the oceans carrying 9 million passengers each year. Each carrying as many as 5,000 people, cruise ships are like small cities but they are exempt from many of the regulations that facilities on land are required to observe. The Blue Water Network reports that a “typical cruise ship on a one-week voyage generates more than 50 tons of garbage, one million gallons of graywater (waste water from sinks, showers, galleys, and laundry facilities), 210,000 gallons of sewage, and 35,000 gallons of oil-contaminated water. Most of this waste is dumped directly into the ocean, some treated, some not.” Additional pollutants dumped into the seas include photo chemicals, dry cleaning products, and used paint. Many Americans are surprised to learn that off the United States coast dumping is allowed directly into the ocean as long as it is more than three miles away from the U.S. shore.

Cruise lines have also been accused of unfair labor practices. Many cruise ships, often owned by foreign companies including Liberia and Panama, pay low wages and frequently demand 80-hour work weeks for ten to twelve months straight.

Health safety concerns have also been widely reported, with incidents of gastro-intestinal diseases and food poisoning affecting over 4000 people reported in 2005.

If you still feel that a cruise is the honeymoon experience of your dreams, you can make informed decisions by reading up on recent developments in the cruise industry at Ross Klein’s Cruise Junkie Web site. Klein, the author of Cruiseship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Ship Industry and Cruise Ship Squeeze: The New Pirates of the Seven Seas, provides links to updated articles, reports, and data about the cruise industry’s environmental, labor, and safety practices.

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©2006 Green Elegance Weddings