THE ISLANDERS CHARTER
Here, we’d like to share with you the principles we strive to apply as much as possible
in our daily lives, including when we travel. The goal is quite simple: to have a positive economic and social impact
on local communities while striving to minimize our environmental impact.
As “newly enlightened” travelers, our list is far from exhaustive. We hope, however, that
for most of you, these principles will already seem obvious.
Thank you in advance for your understanding, and please don’t hesitate to share your own tips with us!
Sharing is caring.
On how to travel
Travel to closer destinations, where we’ll prioritize sustainable transportation—even if it means taking a little longer to get there.
A fitting quote from Lao Tzu: “The good traveler has no itinerary and no intention of arriving.” 😄
Research the destination before leaving
o If you choose to visit popular destinations, check when the off-season is. We need space to spread out our best foutah on the beach anyway.
o We book our lodging directly. Local hosts will even spontaneously offer a small discount when we do this. Win-win.
Once there
o We slow down rather than keeping up our usual frenetic pace…
o We prioritize non-motorized activities. Stand-up paddleboarding will work our abs and glutes more than jet skiing anyway.
o We learn about local environmental issues. When it comes to islands—fragile microcosms—access to water and waste sorting are often major challenges.
o Did we come here mainly for the sun? Then let’s embrace it and enjoy the heat that naturally comes with it—without air conditioning.
o We stick to our good habits. Just because we’re not at home doesn’t mean we have to forget everything. We’ll keep shopping at the local farm stand, with our tote bag tucked securely under our arm, our solid shampoo in our toiletries bag, and our pocket ashtray in our beach bag. We get around by bike or on foot whenever possible on the smaller islands. So yes, we know that with two kids and 18 suitcases, it can sometimes be tricky, but most accommodations offer a pickup service upon arrival.
In short, we adopt the mindset of a global citizen rather than just a passing tourist.
For those interested, here are a few websites for further reading:
The must-visit website of theADEME,
The GreenTripper makes it super easy to calculate your carbon footprint for every trip. The annual CO2 emissions limit per person to keep global warming below 2°C is 2,000 kg/year. For example, you’ll find that a round-trip flight from Paris to Palermo in economy class amounts to 0.55 metric tons, while a round-trip flight from Paris to Bangkok amounts to 3,400 kg.
The website “Qu’est-ce qu’on fait”, with its positive tone and highly informative infographics.
