Luxury tourism that respects nature: where can you find it?

Published in Fucsia on September 9, 2022, in Colombia.

Meet the destinations that promote a more environmentally friendly way of traveling.

Tourism will always be an industry that mobilizes thousands of people around the world, who seek to discover the best and most exotic places on the planet. Taking into account this taste for travel and the concern of the tourism industry to contribute to the good management of the environment, companies in the sector have begun to adopt policies where nature is the protagonist when choosing a place to rest and enjoy.

Destinations close to nature

Baru, Colombia

Sofitel Barú Calablanca, one of Pei’s assets in Cartagena. – Photo: Pei

In this beautiful and paradisiacal island located 45 minutes from the city of Cartagena, you can find the best sustainable hotels that respect the environment and invite guests to connect with nature.

With bungalows at sea level or immersed in the dry forest of the region, located for the conservation of the native ecosystem both maritime and terrestrial, tourists can enjoy the sea, the beach and nature in an environment that preserves the flora, fauna and the different ecosystems.

One example is the Hotel Las Islas, conceived with the mission of respecting the environment, which built its bungalows without cutting down any trees and designed with sustainable materials. They have also carried out a plantation of approximately 11,000 native trees, planting of corals and special protections in the seabed to take care of the reefs of this Colombian region.

Baru has demonstrated that it is possible to implement low environmental impact methods, while maintaining luxury, comfort and sustainability.

The Virgin Islands, United States

Islas Vírgenes – Foto: Getty Images

Located in the West Indies, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, this group of more than 50 islands of mountainous origin and tropical abundance enjoys some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. Its beaches are world-renowned, as are its 6 national parks where biodiversity is a priority, a characteristic that permanently attracts tourism that is conscious and concerned about the conservation of the planet.

These islands are characterized by a series of eco-friendly and responsible hotel proposals, which include volunteer beach cleaning and reef protection. In addition, you can find restaurants that grow their own food and promote local production.

One of the most important policies carried out in the islands, since the ocean is the main protagonist, is that tourists cannot use sunscreens containing the “3 toxic Os” (oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene). Thus, the use of non-nano mineral sunscreens made of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the only sunscreen ingredients considered safe for both human health and the environment, is encouraged.

Sailing is also the protagonist as a new way to discover the islands and to awaken in the tourist that passion for the sea and each of the animals that inhabit it. And Beyond Yacht Charters, for example, offers organic amenities that do not harm the ecosystem, boats with solar panels and promotes the consumption of local and seasonal products.

Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Bocas del Toro, Panama – Photo: Getty Images

It is considered the first National Marine Park in Panama. As one of the most diverse places, it is one of the most visited ecotourism destinations in this country.

The different experiences combine high standards of service and quality with respect for natural raw materials, conscious use of resources and low environmental impact practices.

Its tourist proposals invite guests to relax and live an experience of wellbeing in the company of nature. The Coralina Island House, a property of 8 villas and 23 rooms designed and built with natural materials, has a gastronomic proposal focused on a simple contemporary cuisine prepared by experts who collaborate with the consumption of local products.

For the preservation of marine ecosystems in the region, La Coralina Bay is home to Coral Nation, a committed non-profit organization that promotes scientific research, biodiversity protection, the establishment of coral nurseries in the ocean and on land, and the regeneration of damaged coral reefs.