Whole Travel Blog

Bloomberg today announced that Zipcar, the world’s largest car-sharing company, is gearing up for an initial public offering in 2010. Over the past 9 years, Zipcar has grown from an idea conceived in a Cambridge, Massachusetts to a single lime-green VW bug to a fleet of more than 6,500 autos. 

Zipcar helps you go green when you rent a Prius.

Unlike traditional rental car agencies, Zipcar allows members to swipe a card over a dashboard reader, which unlocks the car with the keys already inside. Members can take cars by the hour or for a few days, leaving them at different drop locations based on their online reservations. Even Hertz’s CEO, Mark Frissora, talks about Zipcar: “It’s a cool technology. My two sons use Zipcar. They said, ‘Dad, you have to get into this.’”

At Whole Travel, we’re excited to see Zipcar doing so well. Whether you don’t need a car too often or if you just don’t want to own a car, it’s a great way to reduce the overall number of automobiles produced and reduce our consumption of natural resources. Here’s to hoping the IPO market keeps heating up for green businesses, and way to go Zipcar!

I spend a ton of time driving to and from climbing spots, and flying to and from climbing spots. There are a few simple practices that I have adopted in my travels to help my traveling become a bit greener.

1. Keep my own coffee mug in the car. That way when I stop at Starbucks to get coffee, they can use my mug, and not use their paper cups.

2. Use Google Maps on my cell phone. Almost every cell phone has the ability to either download a Google Maps app or connect to Google Maps. Use your phone to get Google Maps directions to your destination rather that printing out all the directions and maps. It saves a ton of paper!

3. Bring an empty reusable water bottle to the airport. You can’t bring water through security, but you can bring an empty bottle! That way when you get into the terminal, you can fill your bottle up at the water fountain and save having to buy and use a plastic bottle of water at one of the airport stores!

Nothing fancy about it, but every little bit counts!

Happy Adventuring!

Brandon Hensinger

Ascent Adventure Consultants- Bringing Adventure to Life

India has become an even more attractive travel destination lately with the recent surge in the value of the dollar. If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway, Ashiyana Goa might be the perfect place. A tropical retreat located on the beautiful and unspoiled Mandrem Beach, it boasts accommodations in the form of luxury eco-lodges, tree-houses and stone-built houses set amidst lush tropical gardens.

Alternatively, if you want to dive into the cultural and historical wonders of India, consider staying at Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli which is located at the foot of Mehrangarh Fort.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the best travel deals this winter are to Hawaii, Morocco, and India; Europe still being too expensive because of the strong euro as well as expensive flights.

Hawaii has become more attractive as a result of decreased tourism and the attempt to make up for this with airfare and hotel packaged deals. A 10 day excursion in Morocco will cost travelers less than $700, excluding airfare. And India has become one of the cheapest getaways with the dollar to rupee exchange having improved by 25%.

Find out more here.

Snow and pleasant air travel hardly go hand in hand. That is, unless you’re New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan which, come 2010 will start converting the mounds of annual winter snowfall into air-conditioning for the summer months.

Known for its icy winters where temperatures drop to well below freezing, Hokkaido will begin utilizing the abundance of snow to replace 30% of the airport’s cooling energy needs. This translates into a reduction of 2,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

What other natural resources can airports harness to reduce their carbon emissions?

Santiago Dunn, the Executive president of Ecoventura, has shown a strong commitment to sustainability since 1990.  A family owned company based in Ecuador that operates four expedition yachts in The Galapagos Islands, Ecoventura is modifying the engines of its fleet to create hybrid boats.

These boats will be powered by diesel and solar/wind energy.  Mr Dunn’s mission is to inspire others, including Ecoventura’s passengers, to be part of the solution for the issues facing The Galapagos. Modifying the fleet’s engines is just one of the many steps the company has taken in the right direction. [More]

Find out more about Whole Travel Foundation here.

Led by the United Nations Foundation and with members including Condé Nast Traveler, Expedia, and Rainforest Alliance, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism is a coalition of 32 organizations which have joined together “to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles.”

Its mission focuses on:

• uniting the tourism industry
• educating tourism businesses
• mainstreaming sustainable tourism
• encouraging sustainable business practices

Visit their site to learn more.

With the cost of oil at a 16-month low ($67/barrel), both domestic as well as international airlines have decided to slash their fuel surcharges on most flights, a very welcome relief in a still struggling economy.

Some routes, such as that between San Francisco and most major European cities, have seen as much as an 18% decrease from a year ago, while other departure cities, namely those in Germany are choosing not to cut their fuel fees. While this is great news for the travel industry, does this mean that the search for alternative energy will slow down?

Photo by: Flip Barrientos

While many travelers choose to visit the popular and often over visited landmarks of China, among them the Great Wall, the Yin Ruins, and the Forbidden City, more and more travelers are beginning to choose to travel off the beaten path to a more authentic and oftentimes more remote China. Fortunately, more eco-lodges are popping up to assist this new trend where supporting the local community is an inherent feature of a traveler’s stay. A good example is the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat which has committed to being sustainable through the creation of its own well which lessens its dependence on water resources, by hiring staff from nearby villages, and also by committing to replacing coal with alternative energy by 2009.

Two other ecolodges in China are Wenhai Ecolodge and Alou’s Tibetan Lodge.

Want to test your inner greenness? Go Green Travel Green has a list of quizzes