Tourism that’s easy on planet

As we become more aware that our planet is in a vicarious position thanks to climate change, it’s nice to know that some cities around the world are going the extra mile to offer their citizens and visitors an eco-friendly experience.

Cities committed to lowering their carbon footprint make it easier for travellers to minimise their own. Here are 10 cities that are making eco-friendly visits a walk in the park.

Vancouver, Canada

Canada’s outdoor-adventure capital came impressively close to realising the lofty objective of its Greenest City 2020 Action Plan outlined in 2011.

For visitors, vast improvements to the city’s public transport networks, including the launch of the Mobi bike-share scheme, have made it easier than ever to get around without a car.

Plastic straws, foam cups and takeaway containers were also banned in 2020.

Don’t leave without: Cycling amid

400 hectares of natural west coast rainforest in the city’s green lung, Stanley Park.

Sustainable stay: Centrally located Skwachays Lodge takes sustainability into the social environment. A portion of the profits from the 18-room hotel help to subsidise housing units for indigenous artists in the same restored Victorian building; skwachays.com.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Sustainability has long been a top priority in Denmark, and Copenhagen is widely considered to be the world’s greenest city.

Life runs on two wheels there. With more than five bikes for every car in the capital, it is easy to get around via the city’s Bycyklen bike-share scheme, or perhaps explore its waterways by electric GoBoat.

Most restaurants use organic local produce, and the harbour is so clean you can swim in it.

Don’t leave without: Skiing down CopenHill, an artificial urban ski slope built on top of a wasteto-power plant. The complex also has an 85-metrehigh climbing wall; copenhill.dk.

Sustainable stay: Copenhagen hotel group Brochner was the first company in Denmark to open a chemical-free hotel.

Its newest pad, Hotel Ottilia, opened in 2019 in the old Carlsberg Brewery, and boasts the same credentials – plus a free daily wine hour; brochner-hotels.com/hotel-ottilia.

Singapore

The city state’s S$300 fines for littering, strict green building laws and novel attempts to preserve its green spaces (or in the case of the Jewel Changi

Airport complex, create new ones) are all testaments to Singapore’s commitment to becoming one of the world’s greenest cities. While the government has been reluctant to impose single-use plastic bans, the issue is a growing concern among locals.

Don’t leave without: Walking through the treetops on the elevated walkways that form part of the 10km Southern Ridges trail linking five parks and reserves.

Sustainable stay: Designed to seamlessly blend technology with the environment, the luxe Parkroyal on Pickering hotel’s waterfalls, selfsustaining landscaped roof terraces and vertical gardens help to keep the building blissfully cool; panpacific.com.

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town proved its sustainability chops in its response to the 2018 Day Zero water crisis, which revolutionised the city’s relationship with water.

The threat has since passed yet consumption has stayed low. Visitors are encouraged to follow the locals’ leads by having shorter showers, only flushing when necessary, and embracing hand sanitiser.

Don’t leave without: Hiking (or taking the carbon-neutral cable car) to the top of Table Mountain for staggering city and water views.

Sustainable stay: Certified by Fair Trade Tourism, a non-profit that recognises best practice in Africa, The Backpack hostel encourages guests to give back to the community through initiatives such as knitting a square for blankets distributed to orphanages. A host of other green measures include on-site worm farms taking care of composting vegetable waste; backpackers.co.za.

Edinburgh, UK

The Scottish city regularly tops greenest United Kingdom city lists and for good reason. An impressive 49% of Edinburgh is green space, electric vehicle charging points are plentiful, and many businesses have glowing eco-credentials.

Leading the way is the Edinburgh Fringe. On top of taking steps to limit the impact of the annual comedy festival, it has developed a comprehensive guide to help the industry run greener shows.

Don’t leave without: Making the 251m climb to Arthur’s Seat for superb views of the city skyline, perhaps with a healthy, plastic-free picnic lunch from Hula Juice Bar; hulajuicebar.co.uk.

Sustainable stay: Start the day with an organic breakfast at eco-conscious family-run McCraes Bed

& Breakfast, set in a Victorian townhouse in Edinburgh’s New Town; mccraes.co.uk.

Bogota, Colombia

Colombia’s capital hasn’t just been busy cleaning up its image, but greening it. The introduction of mass rapid-transit buses and the closing of main streets to vehicle traffic on Sundays have played a major role in curbing air pollution, and green building is taking off. Restaurants, too, are getting in on the act, and sustainable-minded and veganfriendly cafes such as Canasto Picnic Bistro are all the rage.

Don’t leave without: Exploring the city’s parks, plazas and historical monuments while learning about its turbulent history on two wheels with Bogota Bike Tours; bogotabiketours.com.

Sustainable stay: In the leafy Usaquen neighbourhood, Biohotel Organic Suites combines luxury with the utmost respect for the environment.

There is an extensive solar setup, organic linens, renewable wood furnishings, and carpets made from fully recycled materials. Even the gym equipment generates power while in use; biohotelcolombia.com.

San Francisco, USA

The first United States city to ban plastic bags, San

Francisco is also in the vanguard when it comes to waste disposal, water management, eco-friendly buildings and green transportation. Its buses run on biodiesel, and more than 60% of taxis run on alternative fuel.

Plastic straws were banned citywide in 2019, as were plastic water bottles at San Francisco Airport. Many eateries have also embraced compostable crockery, taking the stress out of takeaway dining.

Don’t leave without: Shopping for vintage threads on Valencia St in the Mission District and Haight St in Haight-Ashbury.

Sustainable stay: On Fisherman’s Wharf, the nautical-themed Argonaut Hotel’s respectable ecoinitiatives extend to its in-house restaurant, Blue Mermaid, which is committed to serving sustainable seafood, and recycles kitchen grease into biofuel; argonauthotel.com.

Wellington

Having enshrined the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement in law in late 2019, New Zealand is well on the way to achieving zero net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

With the lowest emissions per capita of any Australasian city, Wellington is at the forefront of the movement.

Packed with world-class cultural institutions, eco-conscious cafes (many of which operate ‘‘mug

libraries’’), the compact capital is best explored on foot.

Don’t leave without: Touring Zealandia, the world’s first fully fenced urban sanctuary designed to restore a Wellington valley’s forest floor and freshwater ecosystems to their pre-human state; visitzealandia.com.

Sustainable stay: The luxurious, centrally located Bolton Hotel is committed to buying locally and minimising energy and waste, and recycling stations throughout the hotel invite guests to follow suit; boltonhotel.co.nz.

Oslo, Norway

The European Green Capital of 2019 is, quite literally, electric. Not only is it the world’s electric car capital but, in 2019, it also rolled out an electric scooter-share scheme, and its ferries are being progressively electrified. Even the hottest new attraction in town – the 13-floor Munch Museum, opened in 2020 – was built to strict eco-friendly standards.

Don’t leave without: Embracing Oslo’s urban sauna culture at one of Oslo Fjord Sauna’s four floating saunas. Docked in Bjorvika, the Maken sauna was made entirely out of driftwood and recycled materials; oslofjordsauna.com.

Sustainable stay: Part of the Vulcan sustainable urban development in the hip Grunerlokka neighbourhood, ps:hotel focuses on

employing people who have struggled for various reasons to gain a foothold in the labour market; pshotell.no.

Tel Aviv, Israel

It is home to one of the world’s largest waste dump regeneration projects (Ariel Sharon Park), and its mostly flat streets are ideal for exploring via the city’s Tel-O-Fun bike-share scheme, but when it comes to sustainability Tel Aviv particularly excels in the food space.

Dubbed the vegan capital of the world, most of the city’s restaurants offer plenty of plant-based options using produce grown in an increasing network of rooftop gardens.

Don’t leave without: Learning just how good vegan cuisine can taste at the city’s 400-odd vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, such as Bana; banatlv.com.

Sustainable stay: On top of its energy-saving and responsible waste disposal initiatives and strong stance against single-use plastic, slick boutique hotel The Vera is also furnished exclusively by homegrown artisans, right down to the organic bathroom amenities; theverahotel. com.

Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet © 2021. The Sustainable Travel Handbook by Lonely Planet, $32.99 RRP. See shop.lonelyplanet.com.