Long-distance travel in times of the climate crisis?

23. Aug. 2023

For us, making travel sustainable was and is the vision and driving force of the Trail Angels project. Which then begs the question: Can trekking trips to long-distance destinations still have room with the Trail Angels? No attempt at justification!

Dream landscape on the Great Himalayan Trail: The challenge is to make a valuable contribution with sustainable tourism without putting too much strain on the climate ©Trail Angels

Compared to most of our competitors, as a special travel agency, we could sit back and relax for two reasons: firstly, 90% of our trail offers are in the local market, in the unique Alpe-Adria region, and secondly, as trail developers, we strive to as sustainable as possible.

Sustainable hiking trips in the local market

Panoramaweg Südalpen Panorama am Hochplateau

Popular and climate-friendly: Traveling by train to the hiking trip on the Alpe-Adria-Trail © Klaus Dapra

Already around 40% of our customers choose the train to travel to our flagship, the Alpe-Adria-Trail, because our sophisticated mobility concept means long-distance hikers can easily and happily do without their own car. And with the “regional half board” as an increasingly popular form of catering, you make a contribution to climate protection (keyword: “zero kilometer menu”), strengthen regional producers and are rewarded with the flavors of the region through which the trail leads. The “Green Spirit” package on the Alpe-Adria-Trail is a beautiful and already successful example of sustainable hiking trips in the local market.

What about the flight destinations?

A tricky question: Can I travel by plane for the trekking trip? © Miguel Angel Sanz Unsplash.com

If you want to do a trekking trip in Nepal or in Georgia (to use our two long-distance destinations), you have to rely on the plane for the journey. And the plane is – to put it bluntly – a “climate killer”. For environmentally conscious customers, the simplest and most consistent solution would be to forgo air travel. And for us as Trail Angels to take all offers from our www.bookyourtrail.com platform that require air travel.
We made a different choice. Why? Because we are convinced that a flight ban affects those who have contributed the least to the global climate crisis: the people of Nepal, Georgia and elsewhere. Sustainability is based on three pillars and while we only have the ecological dimension in mind in the course of climate protection, a collapse of (trekking) tourism would hit the above-mentioned countries hard, especially economically and socially.

A Trail Angels project with Fair Trails Himalayas: The “Snow Leopard Trail” supports the protection of the snow leopard and the cooperation between the local population and this fascinating big cat

There’s no question: everyone has to take matters into their own hands and ask themselves: “How often will I fly in the future?”; “From now on, I’ll refrain from particularly climate-damaging short trips by plane”; “From now on I offset my flights via recognized platforms”. And we Trail Angels will also deal with these issues much more clearly and comprehensively in the future and integrate them into our products.

Sustainable trekking tourism

A Trail Angels project with Fair Trails Himalayas: The “Snow Leopard Trail” supports the protection of the snow leopard and the cooperation between the local population and this fascinating big cat © Snow Leopard Conservancy

Where we have already been able to set accents is the sustainable design of trekking tourism in the destinations. Because it is important to us that the added value for the countries we visit is optimized and distributed fairly. That guides, porters and also the employees of the local agencies are paid fairly and enjoy the best insurance coverage available. That lodges are paid fairly and that regional products are used for catering. That high ecological standards, such as waste avoidance and the ban on campfires, are observed. And that selected ecological or social projects are financed from booking sales.

Fair Trails Himalayas: For sustainable trekking tourism in the Himalayas! Fair Trails Himalayas Workshop with Trail Angels CEO Günter Mussnig, Fair Trails Project Manager Saurabh Battharai and Nepalese trekking entrepreneurs. © Trail Angels

So we decided to actively work on a project to promote sustainable tourism in every long-distance destination that we include in our portfolio. To be able to do even more. Like our joint venture with www.ennovent.com, the “Fair Trails Himalayas” in Nepal, India and Bhutan. Or the new initiative with www.e-c-o.at Klagenfurt about “Sustainable Visitor Trails Georgia”.

Sustainable Visitor Trails Georgia: trekking from one national park to the next in the breathtaking Caucasus. A new, fascinating project with the Trail Angels is emerging. © WelcomeGeorgia

With the help of these projects, we can succeed not only in making our trekking offers really sustainable, but also in spreading them across the entire tourism structure in these countries. For more environmental protection, social integration and economic justice – especially in the peripheral rural regions. Only in this way will long-distance travel remain justified in times of the climate crisis.

We will report regularly on the progress of these projects here over the next few months.

Autor

Günter Mussnig

The graduate geographer is one of the founders and managing directors of the Trail Angels, which are responsible for the web platform Bookyourtrail.com. As a trekking & As an outdoor freak, he is one of the fathers of the Alpe-Adria-Trail and has been exploring the Nepalese Himalayas for more than 25 years.

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