Fight Greenwashing: Tips for Eco-Conscious Boomer Travelers

At this turtle farm, kids can pick up the turtles — which can harm the animals. Photo from WSPA.

Baby boomers were among the main driving forces behind the environmental movements that blossomed in the 1970s and beyond, and many baby boomers try to stay eco-conscious when they travel.

Eco-tourism is, in fact, a big force in the travel business, partly because baby boomers have embraced it so readily.

The last thing any of these boomers wants to do is unwittingly support a business that feigns eco-consciousness but is really the opposite.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has some tips for recognizing supposed eco-tourist attractions that actually hurt animals and the environment in general. They have a colorful name for this deceitful practice: greenwashing.

They single out a popular attraction in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Turtle Farm — which claims to focus on conservation of… Continue reading →