Dear JourneyWoman readers:
As a reader of this website for the last seven years, and occasional panellist and contributor, I’m thrilled to take on the role of JourneyWoman’s executive editor, working with Carolyn and a roster of talented writers to both deepen and expand coverage of the issues that matter most to women travellers.
It’s fitting to join in time to work on this month’s theme, as I have been covering sustainable travel and related issues for most of my career, starting as an editor at National Geographic Traveler, and have tried to put it in practice, however imperfectly, in my own personal travels.
There’s no way to put this gently, but the world’s government and business leaders have collectively failed us when it comes to the environment, that is, the interrelated systems that support our human lives–and inasmuch as we have voted those leaders in, we bear some responsibility.
Norie Quintos, our new Executive Editor
Scientists sounded the alarm more than 30 years ago. And their forecasts have come true, though even faster than they predicted. They warned that extreme weather events would be more frequent and intense. As an example, 23 of Europe’s 30 most severe heatwaves since 1950 have occurred since 2000—five of them in just the past three years, according to the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Service.
The travel industry both contributes to—and more and more is disrupted by—climate change. A 2024 report in Nature Communications estimated that global tourism generated 5.2 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019—about 8.8 per cent of total global greenhouse-gas emissions, with aviation accounting for 52 per cent of the sector’s direct emissions.
Overtourism is a separate but related issue. When tourism exceeds capacity, it degrades the environment, the liveability of places for residents, and also the visitor experience. The problem is worsening in many popular destinations as international travel rebounds from 2020: A 2025 UN tourism report cited 1.4 billion international arrivals in 2024, up 11 percent from 2023 and nearly equivalent to pre-pandemic numbers, with growth of a further 3 to 5 percent projected for 2025.
What are individual travelers to do? Do we stop flying—one of tourism’s most climate-intensive activities? Well, some indeed have—and I applaud those who have made that decision. However, curiosity about the world and exploration are hard-wired in humans, and travel connects people to each other and brings with it innumerable physical, mental, and emotional benefits, so the answer if you love to travel is to make better choices. We can each opt for fewer plane trips and stay longer in the destination when we do fly; choose lower-carbon transport (train, bus, ferry); sign on with a tour operator with strong sustainability and social impact values; support local artisans when souvenir shopping, and support organizations doing good work. All the while demanding that our leaders prioritize the systemic changes that will make the most difference.
One of the most powerful and underutilized tools women travellers have at their disposal is your wallets. Your travel dollars, spent thoughtfully, can support companies that act in ways that protect the places we love, and send a message to those that don’t.
The issues are complex and varied, so let’s learn together. This month’s articles will get you started or encourage you to go further on the journey.
The post JourneyWoman Magazine September 2026 Letter from the Editor: Responsible Travel appeared first on JourneyWoman.