Green Theme International Home Exchange agency was established in 1989 at the time the debate about consideration for the environment and the need for sustainable tourism was just beginning. At that time global warming and the extent to which our world is becoming polluted had not come to the forefront, but now the environmental lobby is making everyone aware of the true danger of the wasteful use of natural resources, and the careless pollution of our environment without consideration for its long term effect.

We believe that Home Exchange is a concept right for our time by making maximum use of existing resources. Home Exchange is an environmentally friendly mode of travel and a comfortable alternative to high priced hotels and organised package tours. It is a way to experience an area as a local, not a tourist, to bridge the cultural divide make new friends, and a great way to travel with children. It also achieves a balance between outgoing and incoming tourism, and does not place excess demand on destinations sometimes created by the flow of package holiday tourists to destination hotspots and the consequent over development of those areas, which often risks endangering some of the world's most beautiful locations. 

An article in the Washington Post discusses the impact of extreme tourism on the environment. Don't Travel Like A Tourist Not all homes on this site are eco-friendly because we welcome all who do not want to travel like a tourist.

To help provide even more Green Theme vacation options, members may search for homes where mass transportation is excellent by selecting "car not needed" for a search criteria.

Green Theme Travel

Some members help each other promote sustainability by sharing eco-friendly travel ideas, including:

• Train Travel and Bus schedules and routes shared between members
• Search the database with the "car not needed" option
• Bicycles available for usage
• Information about local activities. People will walk more when aware of local sites. Plus, it's a holiday so we encourage everyone to provide information about local activities
• Information about local food. Travelers will not unwittingly consume food that was transported from miles away
• Hybrid car available for swap

Green Theme Homes

Some members showcase how their homes promote sustainability by specifically describing how their home is environmentally friendly. Search for environmentally friendly homes by clicking in between South Africa and Asia on the country section and type in eco-friendly in keyword search. To help us build a database of eco-friendly homes, please make note of how your home is green in the extra info section and specifically use the word eco-friendly so members can find your listing in keyword searches. Some key features of an environmentally friendly home are:

• Water efficient toilets and showers
• On demand water heaters
• Good insulation
• House constructed with EcoRock
• Solar panels
• House stocked with organic cleansers
• Native plants in yards to decrease water requirements
• Ceiling fans
• Fluorescent or LED lights throughout

Environmental Resources

• Sustainable Travel International
• Don't Travel Like A Tourist
• Climate Change: The Threat to Life and a New Energy Future