I’m all for putting eco issues in the limelight, but shouldn’t we be doing this every day? One of the best ways we can do that? Ask more questions when we’re booking a trip or planning an adventure for others.

Conscious Questions is an open-source reference guide, covering the best practice questions from The Conscious Travel Foundation, edited by Bouteco and powered by Weeva.

Download your free copy now — and join the conversation on socials using #ConsciousQuestions

Designed with travel agents and tourism providers in mind, this guide encourages all to start new conversations with hosts and operators, shifting the focus from room rates and facilities, to purpose and impact. 

Belonging — did you know that having a sense of this is considered by many psychologists to be the strongest human emotion? Maslow put feeling loved and accepted high up in his hierarchy, and our need for connection and community can at times, even index above sustenance. Maybe it's the power of belongingness that has had humans designing important dates to bring us together to mark milestones as a tribe. When I was small, only a couple of dates held a proper sense of occasion: birthdays, Christmas, and among my friends, Hanukkah or Eid. Clearly the leadership team at Hallmark cottoned on early doors to having more dates in circulation ergo more chances to sell more tat. Then social media arrived, and if it wasn't commemorated digitally, for some, it basically didn’t happen. 

It feels like Earth Day is at risk of being an excuse for more brands to sell, sell, sell. The footprint of manufacturing and the ensuing heating up of our plant as they travel halfway round the world is directly connected. Cheap goods, our global population now in the billions, global warming on the up and you realise there’s a direct link between all our celebrating. Halloween costumes, Valentine's trinkets, gender-reveal party favours… At least I’ve not seen any actual Earth Day merch: but it does seem to mostly be retailers using this calendar date to try flog us stuff. One of the best things we can do? Stop celebrating all these so-called occasions with stuff and ignore the supposed sales pegged on these dates. Buy less. Use less. Waste less. 

This Earth Day, swerve all the stuff being peddled, and let’s simply get asking more questions.