Climate protection: Traveling a lot, but sustainable

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Actually, it should go for Lisa Kraft and Maximilian Gierlinger, 27 and 28, in a few weeks to Bali. They wanted to escape the German autumn and enjoy their favorite island. But then came the bad conscience. Because the two are clear: Such long-distance travel is harmful to the environment. After all, they earn their money as travel bloggers and are committed to sustainability. Sometimes this is a contradiction that is difficult to resolve.

The couple would not have thought about that in May 2017. When Kraft and Gierlinger started their world trip back then, they just wanted to break out of their working life, have more free time - and did not have much idea about traveling, they write on their blog. But the months on the move changed them. They were shocked to see garbage dumps in India's slums, smog in Manila, and animal suffering in many Asian countries.

photo gallery

10 pictures

In Bali, they noticed the handling of plastic. "There is a very different understanding there than here," says Kraft. In supermarkets everything is packed in plastic bags three times, and it is not uncommon for a bag to stick to the body when you get out of the sea. "If you then know that Germany exports a large part of its waste to these countries, that's quite shocking," says the former nurse.

They discovered vegan food in Australia, took on cheap jobs as rickshaw drivers and promoters - and found that they did not need a lot of money. "In general, from that point on I began to consume more consciously," writes Lisa Kraft, "preferring second-hand stores to huge fashion stores, shopping in health food stores and regional (s), and generally just looking forward to the smaller things."

Travel bloggers and influencers

Even after her return, the traveling Gierlinger and Kraft did not let go - today they are traveling about six months a year, the other half near Munich at home. Since the beginning of this year, the Bavarians see themselves as influencers - that means they promote and sponsor products and services on their blog "Zweiidiereisen". But they also want to explain what travelers can do themselves when it comes to environmental protection.

Enjoy traveling and at the same time take care of the country and its people - in the photo gallery you will find ten tips for your next vacation:

photo gallery

10 pictures

So far, sustainability plays only a minor role for the majority of German tourists in the actual travel itinerary. This has shown the analysis of the Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen eV for 2018. Very few compensated for CO2 or paid attention to eco-labels such as Tourcert or Greenglobe, while the number of trips abroad reached a record high.

"Feeling that many are now traveling abroad again, because the reputation of long-distance travel is getting worse and the flying ash is getting bigger," says study author Hartmut Rein, professor of sustainable tourism at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. How big the effect of the discussions around climate protection activist Greta Thunberg on the travel behavior of the Germans will be, can not be foreseen yet.

Soap instead of shower gel, wooden cutlery instead of plastic

According to estimates of the expert, the information that tourists can include when planning their journey is still very confusing. "There are still relatively few platforms and information on how to travel sustainably, which fortunately changes slowly," says Rein. Maybe there could help a blog like "Zweidiereisen", which also finds Instagram readers with its posing couple photos and gets positive feedback for the practical tips.

Lisa Kraft and Maximilian Gierlinger pay attention to some basics when packing - no matter where the holiday goes:

• "For example, we always have our own drinking bottle or wooden cutlery to avoid disposable plastic," says Maximilan Gierlinger.
• Instead of shower gel they take their own soaps and inform themselves beforehand about the possibilities of each destination.
• "We choose sustainable hotels or vegan restaurants in advance or buy in local markets," says the trained retailer.
• A no-go was for the two tourism with animals, such as rides on elephants or shark feedings for travelers. "After all, the species-appropriate approach counts for us on the subject of sustainability," says Gierlinger.

For research in advance of the holiday also advises Rein. Anyone planning a long-haul trip should, in addition to the reasonable duration, also make sure that the money benefits as much as possible to the locals, says the expert. "This applies especially to hotels and local restaurants, because otherwise the money ends up at international companies and not in the region."

So you travel like Greta

Instead of traveling to Bali from October through France, Spain and Portugal - by train. "We've been trying to travel slower and more regionally for some time," says Lisa Kraft. If possible, the two change to alternatives to the aircraft and increasingly share targets in the vicinity with their followers. They were in Amsterdam, Switzerland, but also in their native Bavaria. "That made it clear to us that adventures can also take place right at your door," says Kraft.

"Traveling has something to do with further education"

But they will not give up traveling on long-distance trips. Their trip to Indonesia did not cancel the couple, it just postponed it. However, it now plans more consciously and includes the stay in Bali to one in Thailand, which is scheduled for February. They want to save long-haul flights, say the two. In addition, says Gierlinger, "traveling is also something cultural for me, we would never just go shopping in New York for shopping, or go on a beach vacation to Asia." Travel always has something to do with training. "

And so they also understand their blog: "There are people who will never see some parts of the world themselves, we want to take them to these places, and maybe make some people rethink their preconceptions," says Kraft , So Gierlinger was recently in Pakistan for a few weeks. "There are many prejudices about the country, and I wanted to show how beautiful it really looks," he says.

Lisa Kraft and Maximilian Gierlinger work together for their blog with tour operators, tourism centers and outfitters. Occasionally they also come up with suggestions that they reject: "We try to scrutinize this critically, and some offer borders on greenwashing," says Kraft.

They know that they, too, often walk on a fine line. "Nobody will ever live to 100 percent climate-neutral, that's utopian, but we should just try and try the best possible."