1. Fly Responsibly

First things first, let’s consider the massive elephant in the room - flying isn’t great for the environment. So, to fly more responsibly, use airlines that are committed to off-setting carbon impact through the likes of investing in renewable energy and reforestation programmes. You could also look to travel lighter - given that more fuel is required to carry heavier loads, and more fuel equals more emissions, consider whether you really need to pack all that stuff.

2. Time Your Travel Responsibly

To lessen your environmental impact (and to experience places without all those annoying crowds), think about visiting out of season, or at least outside your destination’s high season. What’s more, travelling out of season also helps to alleviate an economic feast or famine situation for local communities - far better to have year-round income than for it to be concentrated into a couple of months.

For one example, while tonnes of people take trips to Mexico in December and January to escape winter chills, you could visit in November, before peak season hits. The same goes for European gems like Venice - visit in late autumn or winter to experience the city’s enchanting atmosphere beyond its overcrowded summer season, or consider exploring a lesser-visited area of Italy (like Sicily) in spring.

3. Sleep Responsibly

Forget booking a bland corporate chain hotel, or staying in a soulless tower block resort. Instead, look to rest up in locally-owned, locally-managed boutique hideaways and guest houses. Let’s take Costa Rica as an example. A paradise for travellers seeking exhilarating back-to-nature experiences, this Central American gem has been blazing a trail for sustainable living and ecotourism for decades, which means visitors have plenty of elegant, environmentally-minded eco-lodges to pick from. Staying in the equivalent kind of accommodation wherever you are in the world means you’ll have a more authentic time of it, while supporting local communities.

4. Eat (and Drink) Responsibly

No, that doesn’t mean you can’t imbibe the local tipple(s). In fact, eating and drinking responsibly means the exact opposite. It means indulging in fresh food in locally-owned restaurants. It means enjoying seasonal juices, and drinking local wine and rum. It means visiting vineyards, cocoa plantations, food markets and farm shops. How about a wine-tasting trip to Portugal, or Argentina and Chile? What about an immersive Mayan culinary experience in Guatemala, or sampling some of Spain’s exceptional food and drink during a bespoke trip to Seville? Wherever you go, you’re sure to find a feast of distinctive food experiences to keep you thoroughly (and finely) fed and watered during your trip.