When it comes to making travel plans, it seems women are more prone to seek out eco-friendly arrangements than men. A popular online travel agency in the U.K. that specializes in sustainable trip planning has found that three-quarters of bookings are made by women. Five women took the time to describe their reasons for choosing to travel green. Read one of their responses below.

Rachel Burgess, 29 - Chartered Accountant

Often when you go on holiday you can’t help but be keenly aware that the money you spend goes into Western corporate pockets rather than helping the local economy.

For example, my husband and I once went to this beautiful hotel on Bali which had its own swimming pool, but as soon as we ventured outside we were bombarded by people begging. The locals had to contend with cracked footpaths and weren’t even allowed to walk on their own beach.

Recently we wanted somewhere that was operated from a more ethical stance and so we settled on a farmhouse in the Algarve countryside. There was a secluded beach near by where my son loved to play and it was quiet and peaceful. We were spared the more commercial, built-up side of the region. This little place also grows its own limited supply of organic vegetables, buys products from local markets, and is planning to introduce bio-diesel.

In the Algarve there is a lot of luxury holiday accommodation amid severe poverty. The managers of this enterprise are planning to put on courses in organic farming to help local youths. We felt more connected with the local community because we bought food from small shops rather than the nearby supermarket.

My eco-tips
Avoid flying. Now you can pay for your flight’s carbon emissions, around £25 per journey, but that is merely a conscience soother. I’ll think again before undertaking a long-haul flight.

Try Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com), an on-line agent that is ideal for researching ethically acceptable tour operators.

Check out Tourism Concern’s website (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) for ethical travel tips.

My Algarve farm, just outside Lagos, was booked through Willing Workers on Organic Farms — www.wwoof.org.

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