ECOTOURISM:A GLOBAL Green Passport campaign has been launched to help shrink travellers' environmental footprints.
The goal of the internet-based campaign is to raise travellers' awareness of their ability to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices.
The Green Passport website encourages tourists to choose responsible service providers, reduce their consumption of energy in transit or in hotels and to buy locally made, environmentally friendly souvenirs.
The campaign was launched at a tourism fair in Berlin this week by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
The website emphasises that more sustainable choices are becoming available for travellers. The rail company Virgin Trains, for example, launched Europe's first biodiesel-blend train in June last year as part of a six-month national trial. Last month pilots at Virgin Atlantic flew from London to Amsterdam in an unmodified Boeing 747 using a biofuel made of a mix of coconut and babassu oil.
Find the Green Passport online at www.unep.fr/green passport.