As a popular holiday destination, Phuket earned 388 billion baht from tourism in 2023, and the revenue is expected to exceed 400 billion at the end of this year. But while Phuket’s travel industry is a major contributor to the economy of Thailand, its growth has resulted in different ecological problems, including water and air pollution, deforestation, and coral reef destruction.
With such a great number of urgent threats the environment faces today, our commitment to improving its sustainability should be stronger than ever. Even if you start feeling a bit overwhelmed when thinking about responsible travel to Phuket, you will be surprised how easy it is to make a positive impact on your trip. We have put together the best sustainable travel tips to help you stay ecologically responsible during your vacation in Phuket.
Make Mindful Flying Choices
Air travel is one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions, which has already contributed to global warming by 4%. Even though it’s possible to take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then make a change to a direct bus to Phuket, such a travel option does not work equally well for everyone.
If it’s impossible to deny air travel, the best solution is to limit it by opting for direct flights. The point is that the biggest portion of CO2 emissions occurs when a plane takes off and lands, meaning that if you fly with fewer connections, your emissions are drastically lower.
These are some other tips on how to travel sustainably if you are going to Phuket by plane:
- Always opt for economy class, as the first class has a four times higher carbon footprint due to larger seating arrangements.
- Travel with airlines that use more energy-efficient, newer planes and produce the lowest emissions.
- Pack less since a higher load on a plane accounts for a significant increase in fuel usage during take-offs.
Choose Eco-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Phuket is home to a wide range of eco-friendly accommodation facilities that offer tourists a sustainable way to enjoy their island getaway. These resorts and hotels adopt different responsible policies to benefit their local community. So, they impose every effort to minimize their environmental footprint by reducing water and energy consumption, popularizing eco-friendly products, and rejecting single-use plastic. Choosing sustainable accommodation in Phuket is also a great way to support local businesses promoting eco-friendly travel.
To find the best hotel, make sure it meets at least half of the criteria highlighted below:
- 100% renewable energy
- Car-free accessibility
- Organic food
- Over 80% waste recycling
- Eco-friendly cleaning products
- Green building
- Solar panels
- Reuse of rainwater
- Energy saving lights
- Water flow reducers
Stick to Locally Grown Foods
Food imports involve transportation, which increases environmental emissions. To diminish your carbon footprint, eat local food and keep away from packaged products as much as possible. In addition to consuming fresh foods and supporting Phuket’s economy, it’s also a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with authentic Thai cuisine.
You can even take food tours when you are on a sustainable vacation across the province. Phuket is blessed with a perfect climate for growing almost all types of tropical fruits, including dragon fruit, durian, longan, mangosteen, rambutan, and santol – do not miss a chance to try them fresh.
Go Paperless
Paper production has a huge impact on nature since it not only takes an enormous amount of trees, energy, and water but also contributes to waste and air pollution. Statistical data says that over 22,000,000 hectares of trees have been destroyed in 2024, and if such a trend preserves, the rainforests will disappear already in 75 years.
It does not take much for you to minimize paper use when you are traveling in Phuket, and innovative digital solutions can help you a lot. Consider using different file management tools and editors available on the web to work with your documents on the go, eliminating the need to print them out.
Top-quality, universal online services like PDFGuru.com have lots of advanced features to help you manage your files efficiently. You can use them for a variety of needs, including:
- Create PDF file from scratch or any other format
- Password-protect sensitive content
- Sign documents with different types of e-signatures
- Edit your files and enrich them with images, links, and other elements according to your travel needs
- Make PDF files take up less storage space on your device by compressing them
- Fill out forms and store them securely in your account
- Create travel checklists
Reduce Plastic Use
Plastic creates a terrifying amount of waste that ends up in the environment. As estimated, the figures reach 52 million metric tons every year, while the pollution affects all marine, freshwater, and land ecosystems. Reducing plastic consumption is a good practice to protect the environments you visit, and these simple, sustainable travel tips can help you minimize your waste output:
- Use reusable water bottles with built-in filters
- Shop with a tote bag instead of a plastic one
- Switch to solid toiletries to avoid plastic bottles
- Carry your own reusable cutlery
- Pack your snacks and take-outs in collapsible food pots
Final Thoughts
Embarking on a nature adventure in Phuket cannot but make you think differently about our environment and acknowledge how important it is to treat it well. It’s our responsibility to ensure that we explore the world in a way that does not hurt our Planet and the communities we visit. By adopting the presented sustainable travel tips, you will make a positive impact on every aspect of your trip to Phuket.