The world’s best sustainable travel destinations

As the UK’s plan to become a Net Zero nation by 2050 evolves, Aberdeenshire – located on the east coast of Scotland – is diversifying from its dependence on the oil and gas industry to embrace the transformation towards renewable energy. Of course, it’s the locally owned businesses leading that change, with immersive tourism experiences flourishing. Cosy off-the-grid woodland hideaways such as Cairngorm Bothies and community-conscious luxury stays such as Manar House are there to be explored outside of the city. And the myriad of cafes and restaurants – such as Barra Farmshop and Kitchen, Forest Farm Organic Dairy and Fish Shop – are dedicated to supporting local producers and sustainable practices.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Scotland

Over the past 35 years, Italy’s agritourism initiative has grown into a community-driven success, with over 20,000 local farms and vineyards inviting guests to experience rural life across the country. The decades-old project aims to platform and celebrate sustainable farms, especially those that invest in soil, land and nature conservation. In the foodie haven region of Emilia-Romagna, you can experience the fruits of local farming – including the making of local favourite Albano wine. Crucially, the profits earned from agritourism go straight back into communities that usually wouldn’t benefit from Italy’s mass tourism market.

📍 Discover Italy's most beautiful towns

Few people realise how much nature surrounds the Ecuadorean capital. In fact, 17 diverse ecosystems thrive within a few hours of Quito – and each depend on tourism to drive conservation and sustain local life through organic farming. Deep in the Andean Chocó Forest, biologists at the Mashpi Reserve continue to discover new species – they’ve named 22 to date – including the unique Mashpi glass frog. This preservation of biodiversity is funded by donations made by visitors to Mashpi Lodge. At Yunguilla, nature-based tours along ancestral paths bring much-needed income to the community and sustainable agriculture projects.

With an uptick in domestic visitors resulting in booming summer seasons, Wales has remained true to its roots in supporting locally owned, community-run tourism businesses. From Anglesey and Eryri (Snowdon) in the north to the mid-region of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire in the southwest, look beyond the chain hotels and eateries and you’ll find homely guest houses, cosy farm stays and luxe boutique hotels boosting the local economy. Meals out are often a sumptuously fresh farm-to-table experience, with restaurants and general stores providing fresh, locally grown, seasonal produce. This means the region’s organic farming practices are being supported, and you get to taste some of the best produce in the UK.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Wales

Showing it is serious about embracing a sustainable approach to tourism, Slovenia has introduced a national ‘Green Scheme’ – a certification programme that encourages hotels, tour operators and restaurants to embrace more eco-friendly practices. The 11-step process to join the scheme includes producing regular environmental reports, forming a ‘green team’ to raise awareness and being reassessed every three years. The benefit is that the national tourist board will actively promote companies who enrol. Ljubljana, the capital, is already on the list, while a full list of restaurants, accommodation and attractions can be found online. 

📍 Discover four Slovenian getaways that are great for the planet

Over the last 20 years, tropical reefs the world over have been impacted by an increase in coral bleaching, as a result of climate change. While the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland stretches across 2,300km, only seven percent is accessible to tourists – allowing scientists and tourism leaders to better preserve this crucial marine habitat through education. The Guardians of the Reef platform not only provides information on the reef but encourages visitors to make sustainable operator choices. You can count species and extract invasive drupella shells underwater by becoming a marine scientist for the day with Passions of Paradise, and Reef Magic invites you to restore coral gardens. In Port Douglas, the Forever Reef Project brings you up close to colourful corals on land.

📍 Discover Australia’s best resorts and lodges

From white-sand beaches to volcanic peaks, woodlands, savannas and tropical rainforests, Costa Rica is home to diverse ecosystems that allow six percent of the world’s biodiversity to thrive. As a result, almost a third of the country is declared a conservation zone, and policies to tackle the climate crisis – by predominantly using renewable energy technology – are firmly in place. To experience nature-friendly activities such as jungle hikes, dolphin watching and sea kayaking, Lapa Rios Eco Lodge on the Osa Peninsula combines wilderness and well-deserved pampering, while a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve provides a nature-filled perspective on the challenges and triumphs of local conservation.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Costa Rica