When she went vegan about four years ago, Colleen Corbett, a bartender based in Tampa, Florida, thought she might starve or be forced to eat meat when travelling abroad. Instead, it was just the beginning of her explorations of the burgeoning vegan destinations that have flourished around the world.
“Collectively, we’re far more aware of the planetary impacts of food than we were even five years ago,” said Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel, a sustainability-focused tour operator, which has seen demand for its vegan trips quadruple in the past decade. “As more people switch to planet-friendly diets, travel is responding to that.”Vegan diets consist exclusively of plant-based foods, excluding meat as well as animal-derived foods such as eggs, dairy products and honey.
“Never before has the demand for plant-based fine dining been as popular,” said Joan Roca, founder and CEO of Essentialist, a members-only travel-planning service company, referencing Eleven Madison Park, the lauded New York City restaurant that went vegan last year. He expects “environmentally conscious dining” to grow in 2022.Hotels are rolling out the plant-based welcome mat with vegan menus and interior design.
“Instead of dealing with this as an afterthought, we are providing a safe place for travellers to relax and unwind that has already anticipated their needs,” she wrote in an email. In London, among its 292 rooms, Hilton London Bankside offers a vegan suite built with plant-based materials, including bamboo flooring and pineapple-based plant-leather cushions. A pillow menu offers down-free stuffing options such as buckwheat and millet and vegan snacks fill the minibar. Guests have designated plant-leather seating in the restaurant.
Last year, Responsible Travel added roughly 1,000 vegan-friendly trips as part of its commitment to becoming “nature positive", a vow to not harm wildlife or habitats but leave them more protected and supported, by 2030. “When 20 people are coming for three nights, hotels are more likely to make an effort than they are for one person,” Reed said.
Healthy food I like it...