Get Away with Dre: Give the gift of travel this Christmas
Did you know that according to the Waste and Circular Economy Program at the Australian Institute, when buying for others 46% say they don’t think about how those gifts will be eventually disposed of.
About 275,000 tonnes – or $921 million worth of gifts is set to go unused or unworn, and a bulk of these unused presents are destined for landfills, add to plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis – not to mention a waste of your hard earned money and your time.
So why not give them the gift of travel? It helps reduce waste, and promotes a healthy outdoor lifestyle.
- Travel gift cards
A travel gift card is an easy one. Pick a fave travel company, agent, airline or cruise ship and get them a gift card for a whole trip or portion of a trip.
- Book them into a sustainable accommodation for a getaway
Eco-tourism gets addictive. Once you’ve stayed in a nice sustainable accommodation, you start looking for it.
A lot of eco-tourism accommodations are beautifully curated because they are usually built from sustainable, or completely recycled products – so they are designed well. It’s also fun to see the creative ways they have incorporated a way to live with the earth, but make it so luxurious and comfortable – you don’t realise it. There’s always little quirks to each place, which gives them character. Not your cut and copy hotel room.
Each accommodation has different limitations to what they can and can’t do to be “eco”. It depends on the landscape they are working with, or the state or country laws.
So if you’re looking for an “eco-accommodation”, look for these things:
Places that:
- Limit energy consumption
- Uses renewable energy
- Limit water consumption
- Uses recycled water – recycled water source
- Reduces waste production
- Promotes environmental education
- Contribute profits to green charities
- Using recycled and locally-sourced products
You can find different companies online that offer different types of eco-tourism – from tiny homes, glamping, retreats, villas, hotels, huts, sheds, farms, and igloos.
https://www.greengetaways.com.au/
https://treechalets.com.au/eco/
https://www.aussieark.org.au/visit-us/
- A new activity or adventure
This is a very thoughtful gift because you’re thinking about the person, and you would have a pretty good idea what this person likes to do.
A pressie like this enriches a person because you’ve gifted them an experience to remember and take with them in life. That’s better than any materialistic item.
You can organise a day out with them and take them somewhere – hike, picnic, etc. If you’re stuck on ideas, here’s a few companies that provide a range of activities:
