Sustainable Travel Tools: A DMO’s Guide to Eco-Friendly Tourism Tech

Consider this: between 2020 and 2023, searches for “sustainable travel” surged by an impressive 191%. 

This isn’t merely a fleeting trend. It’s a clear indicator of a fundamental change in traveler priorities.

Perhaps most tellingly, Expedia Group’s 2022 Sustainable Tourism research found that 90% of consumers are actively seeking sustainable travel options, with half willing to pay a premium for these choices. 

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for destinations and travel businesses alike.

So, how can the industry respond to this growing demand? The answer lies, in part, in the realm of digital innovation. 

A new wave of sustainable travel tools is emerging, designed to bridge the gap between travelers’ eco-conscious aspirations and their actual travel experiences.

In this post, we’ll explore some of the most promising digital platforms and applications that are making sustainable travel more accessible and appealing to travelers. From AI-powered itinerary planners that prioritize low-carbon options to apps that help travelers find place to refill their water bottles, these tools are set to play a crucial role in the future of sustainable travel and tourism marketing.

Sustainable Travel Planning Tools

By bridging the gap between intention and action, digital tools are making sustainable travel more accessible and convenient than ever before. Below are some of the standout solutions that are helping travelers:

Green Globe

https://greenglobe.com/

Green Globe helps travelers identify sustainable accommodations and attractions worldwide. It solves the problem of finding genuinely eco-friendly venues by listing only those that meet strict environmental criteria. Green Globe provides detailed sustainability profiles and reports, enabling travelers to make informed, environmentally conscious choices.

Key unique features:

• Certified sustainable accommodations
• Global listings of eco-friendly venues
• Detailed sustainability reports
• Rigorous sustainability criteria for listings

HappyCow

https://www.happycow.net/

HappyCow provides a comprehensive directory of vegan and vegetarian dining options worldwide. It solves the problem of finding plant-based meals while traveling by offering user reviews and ratings for restaurants. HappyCow helps travelers maintain sustainable and ethical eating habits even in unfamiliar locations.

Key unique features:

• Global vegan and vegetarian directory
• User reviews and ratings
• Trip planning feature for dining
• Extensive database of plant-based restaurants

OLIO

https://www.happycow.net/

OLIO tackles food waste by connecting users with local communities to share surplus food. It addresses the problem of food waste while traveling by enabling users to share excess food with neighbors. OLIO promotes sustainable consumption and fosters community connections, even for travelers in new locations.

Key unique features:

• Local food sharing network
• Surplus food redistribution
• Community building
• Reduces food waste while traveling

Litterati

https://www.litterati.org/

Litterati encourages community involvement in litter cleanup efforts, including in tourist areas. It addresses environmental pollution by allowing users to photograph, tag and dispose of litter. Litterati contributes to global cleanup efforts and provides valuable data for environmental initiatives, helping keep travel destinations clean.

Key unique features:

• Global litter cleanup community
• Photograph and tag litter feature
• Data collection for environmental initiatives
• Engages travelers in local environmental efforts

MyClimate

https://www.myclimate.org/

MyClimate helps individuals and businesses offset their carbon footprints for travel and daily activities. It addresses the environmental impact of travel by calculating carbon emissions and offering verified offsetting options. MyClimate promotes climate-neutral living and travel, giving environmentally conscious travelers a way to mitigate their impact.

Key unique features:

• Carbon footprint calculation
• Verified carbon offsetting
• Climate-neutral living promotion
• Comprehensive travel emissions assessment

Tap

https://findtap.com/

Tap helps reduce single-use plastic by locating nearby water refill points. It tackles the problem of plastic waste from bottled water by helping travelers find and navigate to refill stations. The app promotes sustainable hydration practices, making it easier for eco-conscious travelers to use reusable bottles.

Key unique features:

• Nearby water refill station locator
• Sustainable hydration promotion
• Navigation to refill stations
• Reduces reliance on single-use plastic bottles

JouleBug

https://joulebug.com/

JouleBug gamifies sustainable living, encouraging eco-friendly actions through challenges and rewards. It tackles the challenge of maintaining sustainable habits while traveling by offering engaging sustainability challenges. JouleBug motivates users to adopt and maintain eco-friendly practices, even when away from home.

Key unique features:

• Sustainability challenges and badges
• Gamified eco-friendly actions
• Community engagement in sustainability
• Encourages sustainable habits during travel

AI-Powered Solutions for Eco-Friendly Travel

As travelers increasingly seek sustainable options, artificial intelligence is stepping in to revolutionize eco-friendly trip planning. These AI-powered tools are designed to seamlessly integrate sustainability into the travel experience, offering personalized recommendations that balance environmental consciousness with traveler preferences.

Google Maps 

https://maps.google.com/

The elephant in in any room is Google, but Google Maps harnesses artificial intelligence to transform sustainable travel planning in meaningful ways. Its smart features address the complexities of eco-friendly transportation by analyzing vast amounts of data to provide personalized, environmentally conscious options. From optimizing routes for lower emissions to generating real-time EV charger insights, Google Maps enables travelers to make smart, sustainable choices effortlessly.

Key unique features:

• Eco-friendly route suggestions optimized for lower emissions (transit, walking, cycling)
• AI-generated summaries of EV charger reliability and availability
• Fuel-efficient routing for drivers
• Integrated train and bus schedules with real-time updates
• Intelligent bike and scooter sharing recommendations in over 400 cities
• Lower-emission flight suggestions based on the Travel Impact Model

Byway

https://www.byway.travel/

Byway is a flight-free travel platform that designs personalized, sustainable holiday packages using trains, buses and ferries. It uses AI-powered JourneyAI to create optimized multi-stop trips, focusing on lesser-known destinations and supporting local businesses.

Key unique features:

• 100% flight-free travel platform
• AI-powered trip planning with JourneyAI
• On-demand support via WhatsApp
• Focus on locally-owned and sustainable accommodations

Wanderu

https://www.wanderu.com/

Wanderu is a comprehensive comparison and booking platform for bus and train travel across North America and Europe. Its integration with Kayak allows users to compare bus, train and flight options side by side, encouraging travelers to consider more sustainable ground travel alternatives when possible. Wanderu’s unique routing technology sets it apart by automatically combining trips from different operators to create efficient itineraries.

Key unique features:

• Extensive network of over 500 carriers
• AI pathfinding algorithms
• Unique routing technology for multi-operator trips
• User-friendly checkout process
• Comprehensive bus and train ticket comparison

Omio

https://www.omio.com/

Omio is a multi-modal transport booking platform that allows users to compare and book tickets for trains, buses, flights and ferries. It provides a wide range of travel options in a user-friendly interface, simplifying the process of finding the best travel deals.

Key unique features:

• Multi-modal transport booking (trains, buses, flights, ferries)
• Comprehensive transport mode comparison
• User-friendly interface
• Wide range of travel options

Glooby

https://www.glooby.com/

Glooby is a travel search engine focused on reducing the environmental impact of travel. It provides tools to compare the ecological footprint of different travel choices, promoting sustainable options and helping users make more environmentally conscious decisions.

Key unique features:

• Comparison of travel options based on environmental impact
• Focus on sustainable travel choices
• Eco-friendly travel recommendations
• Promotion of responsible tourism

Trafi

https://www.trafi.com/

Trafi enhances urban travel by integrating various public transportation options, promoting the use of eco-friendly transit over private vehicles. It offers real-time updates and route suggestions, making sustainable urban travel more accessible.

Key unique features:

• Integration of public transportation options
• Real-time updates and route suggestions
• Promotion of eco-friendly transit
• Accessible urban travel solutions

Biliki

https://biliki.ai/

Biliki addresses the need for eco-friendly travel planning by providing personalized travel recommendations that help reduce carbon footprints. The platform uses AI to generate sustainable travel itineraries quickly, offering eco-friendly travel recommendations that aim to reduce users’ carbon footprints by 10%.

Key unique features:

• AI-Generated Sustainable Itineraries
• Eco-Friendly Travel Recommendations
• Carbon Footprint Reduction Focus
• Results pages includes bookable links for suggested itineraries. 

Implications for DMOs: Opportunities and Challenges

The rise of sustainable travel tools presents both opportunities and challenges for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). These innovations offer ways to enhance destination appeal, improve visitor management, create differentiation from competing destinations and support local eco-friendly businesses. However, they also require DMOs to adapt to shifting demographics, evolving traveler behavior and all the while balancing growth with sustainability.

To thrive, destinations need a strategic approach. Ready to position your destination at the forefront of responsible travel? Noble Studios can help. Our agency specializes in sustainable tourism strategies tailored to your unique needs. 

Contact us today to craft a sustainable tourism strategy that benefits your visitors, community and the planet.