insidetoronto.com

Living green is something many people practise in their daily lives, so much so they want to extend that lifestyle when they travel.

With Toronto being a major travel destination for tourists and business travellers alike, over the past few years Tourism Toronto, the city’s convention and visitors association, has been working hard to find ways to accommodate eco- or green tourism for eco-conscious visitors.

What exactly is eco-travel?

The idea is to travel with the intent of being mindful of your environment during your stay in any city, said Sousie Tsotskos, manager of media relations, Tourism Toronto.

That would mean as visitors, whatever they do, how they get there and where they stay has as little environmental impact as possible.

Tourism Toronto gives visitors information about activities, lodgings and attractions to accomplish that.

“We highlight those aspects of Toronto, the green urban spaces that we do have as well as our attractions, venues and initiatives that are, or are moving toward, becoming more environmentally friendly,” she said.

Tsotskos said becoming greener and extending that into tourism is something that’s ongoing for Tourism Toronto.

This is because as people become more mindful of their impact while travelling, they’re continually finding more ways to meet the demand.

“There’s clearly a more aware traveller, people from many destinations who are more conscious of the impact they leave,” she said. “It’s becoming more popular and people inquiring about Toronto are specifically asking about green initiatives.”

This year Tourism Toronto launched a detailed eco-travel page with information that’s up to date and easy to navigate that shows how to make a stay in Toronto as green as possible.
Choosing a place to stay is the first step.

Tsotskos said each hotel has different initiatives that can include everything from recycling and composting to energy-efficient practices and appliances, and using soaps and shampoos from local vendors.

For example, she said the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto is one of the leaders in green initiatives. They adhere to maximum waste diversion, energy-efficient appliances and even use herbs from their rooftop garden.

“It’s about making sure you’re travelling has a very small footprint on the environment, so choose an accommodation that’s green friendly and has green procedures,” she said.

Probably the easiest way to be green is by choosing to get around the city by walking or public transit.

Tsotskos said Toronto is a walkable city and it’s also easy to get around through the underground pathways in the downtown core. Toronto also has many walking and biking trails, and all along them are great attractions. For example on the Waterfront Trail you can stop and visit the CN Tower or you can go to the islands and go sailing.

“To name a few attractions that are available along the water, there’s the Exhibition Place, Fort York, the Harbourfront Centre, and they constantly have different things happening there,” she said.

There are also green spaces in Toronto for people to enjoy. Several parks lie within the city where you can picnic, lounge or even enjoy theatre in the park, Tsotskos said.

Another aspect to consider on your eco-conscious trip is eating green.

This means dining at local establishments that serve up organic, vegetarian or vegan fare from local producers. This supports the local community and economy, while consuming foods that are both good for you and the environment.

“The restaurants use products from local producers and also use products that are organic or free range so that you’re supporting your local producers who are more environmentally friendly with the way they raise their cattle or vegetables,” she said.

If you want to think green while you shop, try visiting Toronto’s many vintage shops. A great area for that is Kensington Market, which is also brimming with stores that offer locally designed clothing and accessories.

This not only supports the local economy, but it also means the products you purchase didn’t travel thousands of miles to get here.

Overall, the idea behind eco-tourism is to support the environment while supporting any city you visit. Tsotskos said the great thing about Toronto is it’s already a green city so most people will have a green experience.

“More and more I think people who may not have green travel in mind, after they’ve come to Toronto, it’s actually brought to their consciousness and they’re made aware that Toronto is a green city ... so we may be converting people as much as we may be converting ourselves,” she said.

Visit www.torontotourism.com/Inspiration/EcoTravelHome.htm for Tourism Toronto’s eco-page.