How easy do you find it to book a 100% vegan friendly trip?
There has definitely been more focus on vegan friendly accommodation (yippee) in the past twelve months, and it's wonderful to have seen first hand the market reacting to this demand both in Latin America and Europe.
Whether you travel for business of pleasure there are a few SAQ'S, should ask questions that you can ask hotel / B&B owners to establish how vegan friendly and environmentally responsible their accommodation is.
Do you ever have those moments when you you feel really motivated by your lifestyle choice, I've had many of these over the past year, all for different reasons.
Running a business across two continents single handedly has it's challenges thats for sure but what really drives me to do what I do is the dedication I have to continually identifying different ways in which I feel I can make a difference.
The sometimes controversial element of vegan travel (which is not yet an industry but I'm working hard on changing that) is that eco tourism does not necessarily mean vegan friendly tourism and I think it's important that we begin to establish the differences in order to create some guidelines.
In the past few years during which Veganbnb Travel has grown slowly and steadily I have met with literally hundreds of hotel and bed and breakfast owners in order to find decent accommodation that align with my personal and professional values.
I found that many hotel owners are committed to sustainable tourism (which is wonderful) but this does not necessarily indicate that their establishments are actually vegan friendly.
I'm looking forward to the day when there is a Veganbnb Travel hotel in every capital city (I'm a bit too busy start with that project quite yet) but until then and if you're planning a trip or browsing the internet for accommodation, be as curious as possible.
The SAQ's, should ask questions to think about when booking accommodation will raise awareness and help create the demand for more vegan friendly products and services and hopefully help you have to have a vegan lovely friendly trip!
What optional activities and services are offered?
It's very easy to get drawn in by shiny photos and forget to look at the details sometimes, especially if you are booking online. Have a really good look at what activities and optionals are offered by a hotel or B&B and think about whether you identify with them on a personal level, are they in alignment with your values and beliefs. I have found many lovely looking bed and breakfasts only to discover they offer optional excursions that promote the illegal trade of endangered species simply by offering trips which visit certain restaurants or markets.
What type bed linen and materials are used?
This is the very first element for me as I walk into any hotel, I'm on the look out for leather sofas and silk throws everywhere! Dig deep and don't forget to enquire about hire equipment if you intend on doing any kind of outdoor activities during your stay as often sleeping bags, boots and coats are made of leather or use down.
If you fancy getting technical, some eco / vegan friendly establishments follow Bau biology principles
Is an organic breakfast on offer?
I'll be completely honest here, places that serve predominantly organic food seem to be more relaxed about catering to specific dietary requirements and I'm not entirely sure why! I think there is an element of having made a conscious decision to use decent produce, people are generally more connected to it and have the ability to be more creative, even if they are not vegan or veggie.
As (vegan friendly) SAQ's are encouraged, the market will start to listen, more vegan friendly products and services will become available and enabling all of us to promote the availability of a lifestyle in which animals, people and the environment are not exploited, everyone wins.
Em x
OVER TO YOU
What one thing do you always look for when planning a vegan friendly trip?
Share your thoughts in the comments box below so I can work towards serving the vegan travel community better and creating trips and products that you love!
P.S PASS IT ON
VEGAN ADVENTURES IN 2015
Discover how compassionate travel can promote the availability of a lifestyle in which animals, people and the environment are not exploited, one holiday at a time.
www.veganbnbtravel.com for further information on vegan adventure holidays in Guatemala and Spain.
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