The benefits of travel start before you even leave the house! According to researchers, the very act of planning a trip has a positive effect on the psyche! The anticipation, the excitement, and of course, the dopamine rush when you click “book”! Through mindful travel planning, you can also make your next trip sustainable.

Good reasons to plan your trips early

There are many good reasons to take some time at the beginning of the year to plan your travels. Depending on your latitude, it may still be gray and cold outside your window, so looking at a calendar with vacation days marked will immediately put you in a better mood.

• A 2014 Cornell University study found that planning and anticipating a vacation makes people happier – far more than planning to buy material things..
• An even earlier British study, conducted in 2002, found that travelers are happiest when the trip is planned.

Why is early travel planning sustainable?

Before you break out the big annual calendar and start sticking Post-its on it (a tip you can take seriously), here are a few talking points in case you need to convince your fellow travelers:

#1 Planning certainty and fairness

By booking early, you give tour operators, accommodation providers, transport companies and their suppliers, tour guides and everyone else involved more planning certainty. As a traveler, you may not even be aware of this. And you also make it easier for everyone else in your immediate environment (family, work, etc.) to plan when you “submit” your vacation early.

#2 More time for long-distance travel

If you are planning a long-distance trip this year, you can take more time to make your vacation more “eco-worthy”. Here you can learn more about sustainable travel destinations in Southeast Asia, the Andean region of Peru, or sustainable jungle vacations in the Amazon. If you are currently “on the other side of the world”, Switzerland may be an attractive long-haul destination for you.

#3 Time to get to know your destination

If you plan your trip well in advance, you can better engage with your destination and adapt to the culture, land and people. In this article, for example, you will learn about the dark side of Bali and how to overcome it as an eco-traveler. An Indonesian woman tells us what tourists often do wrong in Bali, and we introduce you to the eco-resort Puri Dajuma.

My personal tip: Get some books that are set in the country you are going to. Not travel guides or non-fiction, but novels and stories that get you in the mood for the country and its people!

And another book tip from the editors: the “How to…” series. (How to…) series is also highly recommended. Before and after your trip.

#4 Research green transportation options

Before you book a flight, you can also consider greener travel options. For example, did you know that you can travel to Sicily by train? Are you familiar with the new European overnight trains, or have you ever considered traveling by coach?

If the country itself can only be reached by air (in a time-efficient manner), you may be able to avoid domestic flights locally. For example, on a slow travel adventure through Thailand. Yes, you can even reach our Green PearlsⓇ Keemala on the island of Phuket from Bangkok by night train plus bus. Keemala is a truly dreamy, sustainable luxury resort that you can plan as one of the highlights of a trip to Thailand, like a weekend. 

#5 Off-season travel

Now that you have the whole year ahead of you, you can take advantage of the off-season to travel. As we wrote in our blog article about counter-cyclical travel, the off-season not only brings you financial benefits, but also helps to avoid overtourism and protect our planet.

How about visiting the popular Baltic Sea beach away from the tourist crowds, for exmaple? Marion Muller, host of the Lifestylehotel SAND, recommends spring and fall for a vacation. Then you can enjoy quiet beach walks or bike rides with the hotel’s sustainable MyBoo rental bikes.

#6 Plan regional events

With enough foresight, you can plan ahead for special events in the area and be sure not to miss out.

• In March and September 2025, three cosmic highlights await you: (March 15, 2025, partial lunar eclipse, March 29, 2025, partial solar eclipse, and September 7, total lunar eclipse). Nocturnal tourism has been declared a travel trend of the year. The Rhön Star Park, located near the sustainable STURM Hotel, is a good example. Here you will find not only a dark sky reserve, but also numerous guided tours and events around the starry sky.

• From the end of April to mid-May, the apple blossom is in full swing in the Lake Constance region. It is a dream season when the vast apple-growing area is transformed into a sea of blossoms. The Natureresort Gerbehof in Friedrichshafen even has its own apple orchards. And just an hour’s drive away is the flower island of Mainau, where over a million tulip blossoms open each spring!

• October is the time of the olive harvest in Italy and Spain. In Liguria, at the Albergo Diffuso Relais del Maro in the coastal town of Imperia, there is always a big olive harvest festival at this time of year.

• In South Tyrol, the “Törggelen” takes place in October and November. People hike to various huts and feast on the fresh produce of the harvest. At the APIPURA hotel rinner on the Ritten, chestnuts are traditionally harvested and roasted over the fire in a cozy get-together.

Of course, there are many other events related to sports, nature, and hobbies. Why not do some research in your area of interest?

#7 Choose sustainable accommodations

With enough time, you can see if the accommodation is committed to sustainability. Electricity, food, social justice – if you want to travel in a fair and eco-friendly way in 2025, it’s best to choose accommodation that implements and communicates this transparently.

#8 Book directly with your chosen accommodation.

If you have chosen a sustainable accommodation like our Green Pearls, you don’t have to book through a third party, you can book directly with the hotel (that’s why Green Pearls® takes you directly to the website). It is no secret that the booking platforms receive a commission for their listing. However, when you book directly, the money goes right to the hotel. Often, the accommodations also offer a Best Price Guarantee, which ensures that you book the hotel or vacation home at the lowest current price.

What is special about mindful travel planning?

Mindful travel planning, like slow travel, is about taking your time. Time to research, compare, and think carefully about what you really want from your vacation. Planning a trip only makes you happy if you enjoy it. And that doesn’t happen when you’re clicking through pages of deals as fast as you can. It’s about prioritizing, getting to know yourself and your travel style, and then planning ahead. Sustainable travelers are usually willing to go the extra mile – because it’s worth it! For ourselves, for the accommodations and destinations, and for the planet.

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