At a glance, “sustainable luxury travel” may sound like a contradiction in terms – after all, luxury travel is often associated with high levels of consumption, which can have a negative impact on the environment and local communities.
How can luxury travel be sustainable – and, conversely, how is it possible to combine sustainable travel with five-star treatment?
Fortunately, neither scenario needs to be opposed to the other: luxury travel can certainly be sustainable if it is approached in a responsible and thoughtful way. This means consciously choosing travel experiences that are environmentally and socially responsible: staying in eco-friendly accommodations, supporting local businesses, and participating in activities that are respectful of local cultures and traditions.
The Mekong Sub-Region, with its stunning natural landscapes, vibrant cultures, and emerging ecotourism industry, is promising territory for sustainable luxury travel. Local travel providers have risen to the challenge, finding ways to curate luxurious experiences that minimise environmental impact and contribute to local communities.
For example, the Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia implements promoting sustainable ecotourism practices within both the national park and Cambodia as a whole, within luxurious safari-style glamping tents located in the remote Cardamom Mountains.
Camp proponents Yaana Ventures, the Minor Group’s Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation; and Wildlife Alliance use tourism revenues to help prevent poaching and illegal logging within the 180-square-km camp concession. “It’s a good showcase of how cooperation between tourism players and specialized conservation NGO’s can help to conserve nature,” explains Yaana Ventures Chairman Willem Niemeijer.
Another way to minimize the environmental impact of travel is to support conservation efforts in the region, by undertaking experiences that support local conservation efforts.
In Lao PDR, the Elephant Conservation Center in Xayaboury provides a humane face-to-face experience with Asian elephants. Retired elephants are brought back to the wild and treated like kings in their twilight years: “We don’t offer elephant riding, or elephant circus; our conservation is more on education,” Inthy explains.
“We keep the elephant in the jungle area at night. Every day, we bring them back to the place where they have food. We take them bathing in the late afternoon. So we bring the tourists through the social area and educate them.”
The Center lies on the shores of Nam Tien Lake in Xayaboury, on a 6,000-hectare forested concession. The most luxurious accommodation onsite, the Lodge, is based on a traditional Tai Leu house, offering four spacious rooms and private bathroom and verandah.
Finally, sustainable luxury travel can be as simple as choosing accommodations that have implemented eco-friendly practices. This can include using renewable energy sources, implementing water-saving technologies, and reducing waste through recycling and composting.
Don’t just listen to hotels’ self-praise on their environmental practices – look for hotels and resorts that prove their environmental credentials and commitment through third-party certification from reliable bodies like Travelife and Green Globe.
As the trend towards sustainable luxury travel continues to grow, the countries of the Mekong are sure to remain a top destination for eco-conscious travelers seeking a luxurious, yet responsible, travel experience.
