Celebrate Earth Day by planning an ecological vacation with these destinations, travel companies and more.

Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is proud to hold the title of Birthplace of Earth, since it’s the site that inspired the creation of Earth Day in April 1970. This year, the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival returns as one of the West Coast’s largest- and longest-running Earth Day celebrations, April 29–30. The free event features more than 200 eco-conscious exhibitors and impactful climate leaders, as well as a green car show, local art installations, musical performances and much more. While visiting, venture to Santa Barbara Zoo to enjoy Earth Day at the Zoo, which raises awareness about the effects of climate change. Currently, Santa Barbara is in the running to become a whale heritage site in order to protect various whale and dolphin species using the Santa Barbara Channel as a feeding ground. Guests wanting to see these whales and dolphins should book a tour with CONDOR Express, a responsible whale-watching company.

Travel Texas

For travelers looking to plan a sustainable getaway, small towns in Texas make strides to balance visitor growth and long-term vibrancy of their communities. Fredericksburg, one of Texas’s most-visited small towns, recently implemented a reasonable tourism strategy focusing on issues impacting the community, including protecting the outdoors, the dark skies, wildflowers, neighborhoods, ranches, farms and Main Street. If you are looking for more of a laid-back coastal town, Port Aransas is for you. Port Aransas understands the importance of protecting beaches and marine life. Recently, the destination launched The Port A Way, giving the community an opportunity to come together and encourage visitors to “Live the Island Life – The Port Way” in efforts to keep Port of Aransas a sustainable destination.

Etihad Airways

Etihad’s Conscious Choices program allows travelers to join Etihad in transforming the way we live and travel and make small changes today that will have a big impact tomorrow. The program launched January 2022 and lets travelers accumulate Tier Miles and additional benefits for carrying less baggage on board and offsetting flights’ carbon emissions using Etihad Guest Miles. Travelers also have the option to pay an emissions surcharge, with proceeds going toward solutions such as planning mangroves or reforestation. Members can also earn Tier Miles when not flying by offsetting everyday emissions when driving, cooking and cooling their homes. Every time a member does something good for the Earth, they earn a sustainability badge and Etihad Guest Tier Miles to unlock even more rewards.

Aurora Expeditions

As Earth Day quickly approaches, travelers are itching to get out and explore the beautiful world, but it’s important to know they can also give back to the destination while exploring. This year, consider exploring some of the most remote destinations in the world like Antarctica and the Arctic. Aurora Expeditions, a 100 percent carbon neutral travel company, knows when travelers experience treks to some of the most unique destinations, it creates a connection and care for the world. It’s rare people return without their perspective altered. Aurora’s Citizen Science Program allows like-minded travelers to share new discoveries and deepen their connection to the natural world in a relaxed, informal and fun environment. By taking part in this program, travelers can provide invaluable data to the scientific community and become ambassadors of our planet when returning home and sharing what they’ve learned.