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20 Ways to Make Your Dive Travel More Environmentally Friendly

It’s true: vacations make life better.

The same cannot be said for their effect on the planet. Flights churn through fuel while coastal hotel development accelerates erosion. And, as a trampled poppy field in California and crumbling coral in the Red Sea show, the sheer number of visitors can harm the environment.

“Everybody wants to go to the untouched paradise when they're underwater,” says Dr. Rachel Dodds, a sustainable tourism consultant and professor in the school of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University. “But untouched paradise will only stay lovely if we protect it.”

To lighten your load on the planet, use these 20 tips next time you hit the road.

1. Research sustainable businesses

“One of the main things you can do is thoroughly research your destination,” says Jon Bruno, executive director of The International Ecotourism Society(TIES).

Scouting ahead lets you find hotels, operators and restaurants that have pledged to operate sustainably. Check their websites for sustainability plans oreco-tourism certifications, and be on the lookout for harmful development practices like clearing seagrass meadows in the service of pristine sand. Check out the interactive map hosted by Green Fins, a United Nations initiative to conserve coral reefs through sustainability guidelines for diving and snorkelling businesses, for environmentally conscious dive operators.

“If a traveler chooses to have their revenue go to sustainable vendors, then you make a big difference,” Bruno says.

Read the rest of article contents on their website @ https://www.scubadiving.com/20-ways-to-make-your-dive-travel-more-environmentally-friendly

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