The number of travellers choosing to go green is on the up. There are loads of ways in which eco-conscious couples can make their trip a green one, from choosing the right tour company to choosing accommodation.

If you’d like to join the ranks of the eco-conscious dating couples but don’t know where to begin, here are some ideas to help get you started.

Melbourne’s Best Day Tours

Melbourne’s Best Day Tours is a family-run company that caters for small groups of up to 21 people. These tours are perfect for Melbourne couples who are after a short jaunt rather than a long trip. The company is ROC (Respecting Our Culture) certified, which means it’s dedicated to respecting Australia’s indigenous culture and heritage and to environmental protection.

Hedonistic Hiking

Travelling green doesn’t have to mean travelling rough. The team at Hedonistic Hiking provides guided walking tours throughout Victoria. These tailor-made tours feature gourmet food, beautiful wine and boutique accommodation. Best of all, the tours come with the Eco Certified Nature Tourism tick. They’ve achieved this accreditation by operating tourism in a natural area with minimal impact on the environment.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

If you and your partner fancy a romantic getaway, then Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is a beautiful choice. Situated in the turquoise waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, this Eco Resort offers fantastic snorkelling, diving and boating activities to get involved in. The resort is also eco certified for advanced tourism from the use of solar power, waste management and water conservation initiatives.

The Little Things

A key part of being an eco-conscious traveller lies in remembering the little things and being aware of how they all add up. Make sure you and your partner bear the following tips in mind when travelling:

• Need a car for your trip? Look into renting a hybrid car or try to rent the smallest car possible while still catering for your needs.

• Give back to the area by supporting or buying from local shops and enterprises rather than buying imported products that would have been flown or shipped in.

• If you’ve chosen to fly to your holiday destination, look at offsetting your carbon emissions once you’re there by taking trains, walking and cycling.

• Try to conserve water by having shorter showers, re-using your towel and turning the tap off while you brush your teeth.

• Remember to turn off the lights, air conditioning, heaters and other appliances when you leave a room.

• Avoid using hotel toiletries and instead take your own. If you do use the toiletries provided by the hotel, make sure you take any unfinished ones home with you to use up.

It doesn’t matter whether you met your partner online dating Melbourne singles or on a tree-planting day in Perth – if you care about the environment, you can travel green and have a great holiday.

This is a guest post from Federico, an Australian traveller currently looking at green ways to improve his lifestyle.