Somewhere near packing lists and their late-night conversations, Juno and Mina noticed that travel was no longer about just booking flights and checking off a list. It’s a vague shift—might be gradual or faster than people think. Unlike chasing landmarks, a lot more travelers seem to “jot down green” ideas for their upcoming trips, even though it is unclear how exactly this concern began.
Mina wonders and ponders if things actually changed how people describe. She recalls Asian tourism not too long ago feeling like a sea of tourists and enormous environmental impacts. Perhaps it was gentle nudges of policy here or there. As per a report by the UNWTO in 2023, regions have been gradually blending culture back in while curbing emissions, albeit with less noticeable shifts on a daily basis. Now it almost feels strange to think mass-market appeal once overshadowed those quiet priorities.
Are luxury hotels found in Maldives and Phuket capable of providing comfort while still practicing sustainability? DoubleChecked cites travel magazines featuring Six Senses known for its attempt at zero waste practices. But honestly, what qualifies as “enough” effort disguised an eco friendly luxury facade which used to mean marble bathtubs and gaudy extravagant amenities. Sometimes only partially sustainable measures are taken.
Amidst rice paddies and a maze of narrow paths to wonder about, one might find a cluster of bamboos houses with roofs patched with leaves. Two or three solar panels might be winking their light basking in the sun, shimmering on the rooftops. In tea houses picnics of elderly and young children look like to us, powered by the evening sun rotund glow, lighting their tiny village. Bali is said to slowly adopt these changes but no one seems to have a solid answer on how many. A few years back, the atmosphere used to be very different than how we perceive it today, quiet.
A trend has emerged somewhere around the having breakfast in one of the early morning markets and going back home nights which to be frank, served around seven eight years already. Early news pieces and travel forums hint nearly 50% of young people from around and in the vicinity of Southeast Asia are emerging now show lean towards eco lodges or choosing spaces that do not endanger wildlife. There is some disagreement. According to last year’s estimates some Thai tourism sector researchers issued : “The green choices are growing a lot faster than we thought.” Apparently that is countered by another statistic projecting the demand to spike within a small window of time, yet local agencies are always cautious with their estimates.
Familiarizing yourself with a new place is not quite like checking things off a list—rather, it’s like waiting for that pho broth to simmer to perfection. Perhaps it’s the long bus rides through winding rice fields or the fumbling with a few local words at the night market. Sneaky, yet oh so satisfying. As the saying goes, if you rush around trying to do everything, it all blurs together. On the other hand, if you take your time, the small details become the highlight. Picking up bits of stories while sipping tea with family hosts is what seems to linger most. Some early reports from travel columns suggest that this is a slower way to travel, which could work for quite a few people—though not everyone seems to have the time or patience for it. Regardless, it doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes you learn in the moment and end up knowing more than expected just by being there. This viewpoint is available on Danielfiene’s official website.
At times, it begins with a simple scroll through BookDifferent or Kind Traveler and not finding exactly what you had your heart set on. Some travelers remember forgetting a specific yukata tie, but many local hosts are kind enough to assist; kaiseki dinners change seasonally depending on which aunt is chef for the day in some families. You might spot sustainable shops tucked behind shrines which can be the luck of the draw or a guidebook.
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“Hold up, you’re telling me I shouldn’t upload an elephant selfie?” Mina seems to be repeating this line lately. Juno often lingers—perhaps there was a guidebook somewhere with a helpful tip? The elephant rides that dominated social media feeds over a decade ago are now receiving a lot of negative discourse. I remember seeing some news channels address it in Southeast Asia last year. Younger travelers seemed mystified as to why they were so out of style. While there are always odd exceptions, a sizable portion of society seems to think it’s quite out of touch.
A little less than five or six years ago—I can’t pinpoint exactly when—I found myself haggling in a tiny market near Chiang Mai. In the s Markets, handwoven textiles were not on the list of things I intended to purchase. While wandering through the region, I chatted with a woman who looked to be my mother’s age. The prices were inconsequential to me at that stage, given the stories she shared. Some of them included her family and the dyes they used—some natural, some not—and how things were picking up due to travelers avoiding cheap mass produced items. The Thai phrases and numbers I tried bringing out blanketed mortally botched, but we both found it funny. The scarf didn’t end up being my favorite thing as much as her pride in telling me how all the patterns had meaning for her village. Moments like that, I’d bet would not be captured in last-year tourism board reports or any other surveys. But those moments instead of any piece of paper or receipt instead can linger for a lifetime.
Occasionally, the use of apps like Komoot or conversing with locals uncovers those still, secret places—perhaps temples that are hidden or small coffee shops known to very few. Travelers can experience visiting these locations during the off peak seasons, feeling as though there are significantly fewer people around, making the community tours feel more like friends guiding them around. After using platforms like BookDifferent to check and select accommodations, people would likely be able to avoid the most overcrowded parts of town. Don’t forget to check if there are sustainability certifications and remember that, along with reusable cups and bags, eco friendly pouches are handy to have on outings. Finding local activities may be much more interesting than frantically browsing the most sought after attractions, and there is even the possibility of picking up some local language skills while doing so. Circling the crowds this way feels closer to what many would refer to as “low-impact” travel.
