Tourism Leakage

Tourism leakage occurs when tourism dollars end up in the hands of foreign or multinational corporations or countries, rather than the countries that they are spent in. While tourism can provide destinations with significant economic benefits, tourism leakage prevents a community ability to fully reap those benefits, if at all.

Travelers contribute to tourism leakage in small ways, like purchasing an imported souvenir, or in big ways, like staying at a foreign-owned hotel. In either case, this leakage takes important income away from local business owners who call a destination home.

ecomadic limits and/or eliminates tourism leakage by working directly with locally-owned accommodations, experiences, shops, and eateries. By making travel to locally-owned businesses more accessible, ecomadic helps tourism profits end up in the hands of locals where they can then be circulated into the local economy and be put towards supporting the livelihoods of local people and locally-funded projects.

Responsible tourismis a form of sustainable tourism where travelers and travel companies consider ethical implications and show care for the environmental, social, and economic health of the place they are traveling. This form of tourism can be tricky, however, as different people and businesses can have differing opinions on what considered So, always be sure to dig a little deeper and read up on or ask questions about a business’s ethical practices before supporting them.

Conscious travelrefers to a form of sustainable tourism where travelers are mindful of locals, other travelers, and the environment. Through self-awareness, conscious travel allows travelers to connect with people and places in a more meaningful way.

Eco-tourismis a form of sustainable tourism that consists of travel to natural areas with the intention of admiring and enjoying wild plants and animals. Eco-tourism also contributes to conservation efforts and sustains the well-being of local communities.

Each of the different forms of sustainable tourism provide different opportunities for travelers to make their travel more sustainable. We believe that each type has its strengths and its unique way of contributing to the goal of sustainable tourism, which is to contribute to a destination social, environmental, and economic well-being for years to come.

What is Carbon Off-setting?

According to our partner Sustainable Travel International, Tourism is responsible for roughly 8% of the world carbon emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Every time you fly on a plane, stay in a hotel, ride in a taxi, or create waste, carbon emissions are being generated. While there are many ways that you can and should minimize your carbon footprint while traveling, no matter how sustainable your travel habits are, certain carbon emissions are unavoidable. That where carbon offsetting comes in

Carbon offsetting allows you to compensate for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions you produce by reducing emissions somewhere else. To compensate for your travel footprint, carbon offset credits can be purchased that are equivalent to the amount of emissions you were responsible for. The credits are then invested in certified carbon reduction projects including projects that support forests & biodiversity, clean & efficient energy, coastal blue carbon, and local communities. These projects reduce carbon dioxide by capturing/storing existing CO2 or preventing new emissions from happening, or by providing benefits that go beyond carbon reduction, such as protecting forests and the biodiversity within, or creating opportunities for communities to better their livelihoods and health

At ecomadic, we take care of the carbon offsetting for you through our partnership with Sustainable Travel International. As the average global nightly carbon footprint (CO2e) for a hotel is approximately 30.47 kg or 0.03 metric tons per night, this costs approx. $0.18 per night to offset, which we automatically include in every accommodation booking made through our platform in order to make conscious travel choices that much easier.