The Imperative Of Sustainable Travel and Collaborative Consumption

Sustainable tourism has become a top priority for environmentalists as the travel sector is becoming a large contributor to release of greenhouse gases and environmental degradation. For example, last year, there were over 1.32 billion international travellers according to the UN i.e 1 out of every 6 persons. India alone had over 22 million international travellers in 2017 and an estimated 1 billion domestic trips undertaken as well. Clearly, movement of people on such a massive scale has huge environmental implications.

While global sustainability campaigns have focused on creating awareness about environmentally friendly practices for transport, protecting natural and cultural sites and supporting local communities, there has been lesser focus on how travel also drives wasteful consumerism. The RBI estimates that Indians alone spent over USD 5.5 Bn on international travel in 2016. While it is understandable that people will consume more when on their vacations, there is also no doubting the fact that travel shopping (including pre-travel shopping) remains a major splurge moment for many.

Infact, when travellers sit down to prepare a budget for their annual vacation, many of them overlook the most wasteful part of their trip – the period before the trip where people just go on a buying spree to feel prepared for the trip. From clothes to bags to an entire medical cabinet, not to speak of atleast 1-2 of the latest expensive gadgetry, the anxiety of being ill equipped for the uncertainties of the journey, feeds a lot of wasteful expenditure. Most of these purchases end up gathering dust for the rest of the year.

 

 

However, there is another way! The benefits of the shared economy and the collaborative consumption model can now be implemented on your pre-travel shopping. Bragpacker.com provides a full range of travel products, from luggage to lenses, for travellers to Rent for the duration of their travel. With rentals as low as 0.5% of product cost per day, you can not only save a huge bundle on your pre-travel shopping but also completely eliminate the need to own (and thus maintain, store and repair) equipment that you will end up using no more than 1-2 times a year.

If you think about it, travel gear on Rental basis, is a no-brainer. For example, how many suitcases clog your cupboards and waste prime real estate in your house. Similarly, if one calculates the “cost per actual picture clicked” with their DSLR and lens, many would find buying a camera unjustifiable. Besides, each trip requires it’s own kind of luggage solution and it’s own photography setup – backpack and gopro for a motorbiking trip, trolley bag and DSLR for a leisure trip, daypacks/duffels and smartphone camera for a weekend getaway – the combinations and permutations are almost endless and impossible to keep up with.

Rationally, anything that is likely to be used for 15-20 days a year, does not deserve to be bought if there is a rental option available. With Bragpacker.com, we want to provide Indian travellers with high quality specialized gear that can really upgrade their travel experience, without them having to break the bank or horde otherwise unnecessary, expensive products that will anyway be outdated by their next trip. The Rental option clearly offers an affordable and sustainable alternative for your pre-travel shopping. As we say to our customers – Save on Luggage so you can Spend on Experiences”

Say no to conspicuous consumption – try collaborative consumption and you will find that it not only makes economic sense but also liberates you from all the pains of ownership!