Inspiring Sustainable Travel: Bee + Hive

04/05/2017 AFAR

Travel is growing. More than a billion people travelled last year alone. We’re discovering new places, eager for the next experience; pushing ourselves more than ever before to get out there and see the world. But you have to wonder about the impact mass tourism can have. Thankfully sustainability has been a growing trend over recent times, with the UN announcing 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism. When you start bearing sustainability in mind, you begin to realise how many options are out there. One recent piece of news that caught my eye was the launch of a new association, dedicated to promoting awareness of sustainable travel through experiences.

Bee + Hive works with its members – luxury hotels, restaurants and parks – to create incredible sustainable experiences which benefit the local community, environment or culture. Their work with boutique hotel Pousada Literária de Paraty in Brazil replanting 21,000 trees has rehabilitated the area, attracting numerous birds and wildlife. It’s now part of a private sanctuary which travellers can visit and learn about, with huge benefits for the local ecology and the community. It’s inspiring initiatives like this that all travellers – and tourism institutions – need to look out for, so they can spread the word, and help make sure sustainability is firmly here to stay.