I love vacation on islands but it is a fact that we tourists are not only bringing some wealth to the island, we are also increasing the environmental impact on the island, and on the environment in general when we travel.

Learn what you can do to minimize the environmental impact during your stay on a beautiful island.

Transportation to the island

One of the bigger environmental impacts during a vacation will often be the air pollution and use of natural resources during the transportation to the island and back again. Far away islands like tropical islands will often imply that you have to fly to reach the island. In other cases a combination of driving with a car and going on a ferry might be the needed transportation form. Many small islands don’t have an airport or are too close to the mainland.

Reduce your impact from your transportation by some of the following tips:

- Going by car:

* Go together in the same car and don’t use a bigger car than needed for the number of people and goods.
* If possible use public transportation.

- When flying

* When flying, plan the vacation of the year to stay longer time and travel less times. This way you might be able to reduce your environmental impact to half of what it would be else.

Reduction of your environmental impact during the stay at the island

You will have an impact through
- your consumption of natural resources during your stay on the island
- your generated pollution from your activities and consumption during your stay at the island
- your use of the natural environment.

Consumption of natural resources on the island
Fresh water is often a scarce resource on islands as smaller islands have less resources of clean ground water compared to the mainland.
* Use the shower thoughtfully – it is easy to reduce your water consumption through your shower behavior to the half of normal without missing anything.
* Don’t let the water run in the sink or elsewhere.
* Check if the toilet is running – call for technical assistance if needed.
* Don’t have your towels and sheets wasted everyday as washing is having a big impact on the local resources.

Waste and pollution on islands
Systems of recycling and hazardous waste is often missing on islands
Many islands are missing even the most basic systems to handle waste in an appropriate way. The waste is being burned or dumped in the environment without the needed technology and concern in place. Please take that into account when you through something in the wastebasket:
* Especially hazardous waste is what you can help with.
* Bring your used batteries with you home again and make a proper deposit of them well back at home.
* Don’t leave any electronic outdated device as waste at the island – take it with you home.
* Don’t through any poisonous liquids or medicine into the toilet or wastebasket – take it with you home.

Using the natural environment
When we use the beach and other parts of the natural environment at the island we should be careful not to make any impact from our stay and activities.
* Don’t break corals when swimming or diving.
* Bring all waste with us from the outdoors
* Do not harm wild plants and animals.
* Follow the restrictions, explained by CITES etc. about which kinds of threatened animals and plants to take into consideration especially at that island / in that country. CITES about Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
* Follow the instructions in using trails and parks to minimize your impact and helping the environment, so also the place will be nice when you visit it again.

Appreciate any progress of environmental clever management

* Tell the responsible people how happy you are with new initiatives at the island to reduce the environmental impact of the stay of tourists.

* Ask for measures to combat environmental problems when adequate to the right people. Communicate your concern to the local media.

* At home write to your local media about the environmental situation at the island.

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