Pack Your Eco-Bag and Head For The Sun

As the thermometer dips below zero each winter, Canadians start thinking about an escape to the sun or slopes. But travel getaways can easily increase your eco-footprint. Here are some tips for a green winter vacation.

Green hotels and resorts strive to reduce their impacts by conserving water and energy, composting, adopting ethical purchasing policies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Fairmont Banff Springs, for example, has launched a program called "Greening our Greens" for its golf course, home to rare birds, native grasses and grazing elk. The program seeks to minimize pesticide use, protect water and enhance natural habitat.

When selecting your hotel, local inn or eco-lodge, ask about their environmental policies. While there, you can further reduce your impact by:

• Using recycling bins
• Requesting your towels and linens be changed not daily but as needed
• Turning off lights when leaving the room
• Choosing a shuttle service instead of an individual taxi
• Walking or biking to nearby destinations, when possible.
• The single best way to minimize your environmental impact is to take a local, instead of a far-off, vacation. That's because air travel can leave a huge carbon footprint, especially if you're flying to a far-flung destination. A round-trip flight from Calgary to Australia, for example, produces 2.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger. That's almost as much as the typical Canadian produces in an entire year of operating their house and driving their car. You can try offsetting your flying impact by buying carbon credits.

You can further reduce the impact of a local ski vacation by taking a bus to your destination, instead of a car. Even if you do take a tropical winter holiday, you can lessen your transportation impact, while at your destination, by selecting a fuel-efficient rental car, taking the bus or choosing a resort that requires no travel other than walking or cycling.

No matter what kind of winter getaway you choose, finding ways to minimize your environmental impact does make a difference. Already, the increasing demand for such vacations is prompting the travel industry to offer more environmentally-friendly options.