The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism as tourism that fully takes into account the current and future economic, social and environmental impacts to meet the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and the host communities.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is an international organization created in 1975 that aims to promote tourism. Formally linked to the United Nations since 1976, when it became an executive agency of UNDP. In 1977 an agreement was signed that formalized the collaboration with the United Nations, being a specialized agency of the United Nations system since 2003. It has its headquarters in Madrid (Spain) and has 156 member states.

According to UNWTO, the principles that define sustainable tourism are:

These characteristics make sustainable tourism a strategic tool in local and national economic development. On the one hand, tourism is a great opportunity in some urban and rural areas, where there are no other alternatives for economic activity. At the same time, as part of the services sector, it offers more opportunities for the emergence of local companies (we must bear in mind that even in the most developed countries, this sector is mainly made up of SMEs). And despite being a sector that requires heavy investments in infrastructure and equipment, it also uses labor intensively, thus offering numerous job and business opportunities, without distinction for men, women and young people.

This trend of tourism called Sustainable Tourism is also supported by UNESCO, who argues that "The development of sustainable tourism must be ecologically sustainable in the long term, economically viable, as well as ethically and socially equitable" (BRESCE, 2009).

Surely you know that sustainability has become an added value in any type of trip. You should also know that there are hotels that, in an effort not to be left behind, are described as 'green' when they are not. But do you know how to detect if the hotel you visit passes the basic standards to be sustainable?

If you want to determine how responsible you are when it comes to environmental responsibility, here are some criteria to determine your credibility.

Look at the architecture of the place. Many of the new hotels use recycled materials for their construction, such as wood or cotton for interior decoration. Others concentrate on not damaging the space in which they stand, transplanting trees or creating protected spaces. In addition, there are increasingly more structures to absorb natural energy evident in the properties, from solar panels to rainwater collection systems.

It has a system of saving resources

Maintaining the consumption of resources to a minimum is a decisive step in the search for sustainability. For this, hotels often install lights with sensor controls that turn off completely when there is no one in the room. Another tool is to install showers with little pressure to reduce water consumption.

A sustainable hotel will do everything possible to return something to the environment in which it is located. Some support the local community with jobs or financial assistance to an organization, while others support environmental conservation initiatives. This information is something that you can easily find on the website, or else, of any staff member.

Another indicator that you should look for is the supply chain that the products used in the hotel follow, from the room amenities to the food. The vast majority of sustainable hotels have adopted the 'farm to table' philosophy, with seasonal menus based on local farming, organic farms and sustainable fishing cycles.

The last indicator, and perhaps the most forceful, is the certification of sustainability, validated by experts in the field who have studied all aspects of the space to evaluate it. Symbol of pride, this is usually announced on the website, as well as at the hotel reception. Look for stamps like Green Key, LEED, Green Leaf or Earth Check among many others.

If you have the opportunity to organize your holidays without a date limit, the best time to go to the Amazon is perhaps between August and September, because the climate is more pleasant for those who are not used to heat and humidity.

Behind the beach, the colonial cities, the great museums and others, those who visit the Amazon are going to take a trip through nature to recognize its charms, usefulness and know what remains of the indigenous traditions. According to the National System of Cultural Information, the department has 26 indigenous ethnic groups with a population of 47,000 members. It highlights 14 linguistic families among which, the most numerous, are the Tukano, Arawak, Tikuna, Huitoto and Tupi.

What can be done in the Amazon? The first thing is to have the ticket, which according to supply and demand can cost on average about $ 700,000. Once you have purchased the flight you will have to define if you want to stay in the two available municipalities Leticia or Puerto Nariño or if you want to stay in the jungle with the indigenous communities. These two services are offered by the department and its costs with variables.

A lodging in Leticia can cost from $ 17 in hostel format to $ 133 in a houseboat per night. If you already have the reservation for accommodation in the same hotel or in the city you can put together your tourist plans, it is recommended not always take everything planned as the costs vary if you take a plan in the area or from your city of origin.

Next, we present the five most striking options for ecotourism offered by the department to its visitors.

The island of the monkeys has a unique attraction and is to enter the habitat of one of the largest communities of monkeys or squirrel monkeys. It is located 35 kilometers from Leticia and is reached by boat on the Amazon River after a 45-minute journey. It is a natural reserve of flora and fauna and the monkeys interact with tourists in a natural way taking into account the proper precautions because you are the one who arrives at your place where the animals live.

It is the second municipality of the department and its main attraction is that it is a quiet place, a town without cars where all the streets are pedestrian. It offers a variety of restaurants and lodging, as well as a viewpoint where you can see the greatness of the Amazon River. It is located 80 kilometers from Leticia, which is done by boat and is about 30 minutes from the first bordering Peruvian municipality.

The community of Macedonia is home to a good number of Ticuna Indians. When visiting your home you will have the option to see skills for crafts with seeds and wood. In Mocagua, there is another native population that allows interaction with them, who are venturing into lodging ventures of maximum 50 people in their homes. They also offer lunches, canoeing, artisanal fishing and ecological walks.

This reserve, which is half an hour from Leticia by car, was created in 2003 to conserve part of the jungle with the Huitoto community. In 2004 the first trails were made that lead to a tree called tanimboca, hence the name of the reserve. It offers accommodation in cabins in the trees and has the capacity to host up to 55 people. The cabins cost $ 180,000 per person and the night includes a night walk and breakfast. In addition, it offers extreme sports.

Sandymount Hotel, located in the city of Dublin, Ireland, once again won the World Travel Awards as the greenest hotel in Europe by winning, for the second time, in the "Leading Green Hotel" category.

This hotel is a family business that was renovated a few years ago to offer its visitors a complex committed to the environment, constantly refining its ecological commitment; a trend increasingly adopted within hotels worldwide.

The hotel waste is recycled almost in its entirety; the hotel has introduced biodegradable elements such as disposable cups and lids, as well as straws that are used inside the bar. The attachments in the showers have managed to reduce up to 47% of the water used, while products such as soap and other toiletries are also recycled.

The hotel offers its guests incentives to join the ecological commitment to save energy during their stay. Similarly, the electrical energy they use corresponds to renewable sources, which has allowed them to save considerable sums of energy since they adopted this mission that is now again recognized by the World Travel Awards.

The ecological approach that they maintain and improve, in addition to their amenities, have been the reasons to be imposed once again as the greenest in Europe in the category that grouped hotels in countries such as Italy, Portugal, Austria and Turkey, among others.

Dublin, the capital of the island was never as ecological as before, highlighting the creation of lodgings committed to the search for a better environment.

The democratization of technology has radically modified many aspects of our daily life, including the way we travel.

What until many years ago seemed impossible, today is within our reach without much effort. One of the sectors that has evolved, due to the almost unlimited possibilities offered by new technologies, is tourism.

Our way of traveling has changed markedly. When we proposed a trip a few years ago, the planning was much more expensive. Currently we have at our disposal countless specialized travel blogs that clarify even the slightest doubt that arises, and that are replacing the well-known guides on paper. That anxiety before the unknown dissipates before an almost complete knowledge of the place to which we decided to move.