10 Ways to Help Protect the Ocean on Holiday

Protecting the ocean on holiday means making everyday travel choices, from what you pack to what you eat, that reduce pollution, ease pressure on marine life and avoid damaging fragile ecosystems. You don't need a perfect, zero-waste trip to help. We've put together some practical tips to make your holidays kinder to the sea, including expert advice from Novotel’s Ocean Defender, Kaushiik Subramaniam, who is an award-winning wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and conservation biologist from the UK.

While some of these tips are especially relevant for beach holidays, protecting the ocean isn't limited to coastal destinations. From reducing plastic waste to making more sustainable food choices, many of our everyday travel habits can have an impact on marine ecosystems, no matter how far from the shoreline we are.

Sun protection is non-negotiable on an ocean holiday, but the formula you choose matters. Kaushman recommends using reef-safe suncream whenever you swim in the ocean. Sunscreen rinses off in the water, which can release chemicals linked to harming coral reefs and marine life. That's why it's important to read the ingredients and look for mineral-based options (zinc oxide) and avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate where possible. Apply at least 15–20 minutes before swimming, pack a travel-size for your day bag, and remember that shade, hats and UV clothing can reduce how much product you need overall.

Whether left behind in cities, parks or coastal areas, single-use items can eventually make their way into waterways and the ocean. Wind and overflowing bins can move litter into drains, waterways, and eventually the sea. Kaushik recommends using a reusable water bottle every day as a small action that can make a big difference. By packing a reusable water bottle and a tote bag, you have the beach day or city break basics covered while also reducing your reliance on single-use plastics.

Novotel provides refillable glass water bottles in all guest rooms, so you can skip single-use bottles from check-in. 80% of our hotels have eliminated more than 56 single-use plastic items, from straws to mini toiletry bottles, and 92% were compliant with Accor's single-use plastic policy by the end of 2025. Together, these small choices help create a more sustainable future, one stay at a time.

Choosing where you stay is one of the simplest ways to travel more responsibly. When looking for a hotel, consider those with recognised third-party eco-certifications, clear sustainability goals, and transparent sourcing practices. Today, 73% of the Novotel network is independently eco-certified, reflecting our ongoing commitment to more responsible hospitality.

At Novotel, we are also proud to partner with WWF France to help protect and restore our oceans through science-based conservation projects. Together, we're supporting initiatives including the protection of Posidonia seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean, the removal of ghost fishing gear, marine turtle tracking across Asia-Pacific and the Western Atlantic, and research aboard the WWF Blue Panda vessel.

Good to know: Posidonia seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean can absorb up to 15 times more CO₂ per year than the same area of Amazon rainforest, and the Novotel × WWF partnership is actively helping to protect them.

It can be tempting to collect shells from the beach as a holiday souvenir. In fact, shells provide habitat for coastal wildlife, sand removal accelerates erosion, and coral is a living organism, not a trinket. That means tourists taking home these natural materials can be a real problem. In some destinations, removing sand, shells, or coral can lead to confiscation at customs and significant fines. Treat it as a simple "look, don't take" rule. If you want a meaningful souvenir, buy from local artisans using sustainable materials instead.

Your food choices when you're on holiday matter more than you think for coastal conservation. Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to ocean health, so there are a few steps you can take to make sure your seafood choices are sustainable. When ordering seafood, ask where the fish is from, whether it's seasonal, and how it was caught (line-caught is generally lower-impact than trawled). The daily catch or plat du jour is often the freshest and most sustainable choice at a coastal restaurant. These are the labels to look out for on menus:

1. MSC (Marine Stewardship Council): The blue label indicates wild-caught seafood from fisheries that are sustainably managed to prevent overfishing and protect marine ecosystems.

2. ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council): The green label indicates farmed seafood that is produced responsibly, ensuring minimal environmental impact, good water quality, and fair labour practices.

When in doubt, a plant-forward dish is the simplest ocean-friendly swap. At Novotel, 50% of our hotels already offer at least 25% plant-forward dishes, with a goal to reach 100% by the end of 2026, helping guests eat more sustainably. In line with WWF guidance, 41% of our hotels have removed more than 350 vulnerable seafood species from menus, and more than 1,600 chefs have completed WWF Sustainable Seafood Training (as of mid-May 2026). You can rest easy knowing that at a Novotel restaurant, some of the hardest decisions have already been made for you.

A day at the beach is the perfect opportunity to make simple choices that help protect our oceans. Choose reusable over single-use by bringing a refillable water bottle and tote bag, and skip plastic straws, cups and bags whenever you can. Avoid activities where plastic could end up in the sea, such as balloon releases, and remember to dispose of cigarette butts in a bin; they contain plastic and don't belong on the beach.

Anything you leave on the beach can easily end up in the sea. A forgotten bottle cap or plastic wrapper can travel far beyond the shoreline, where it may be mistaken for food by marine wildlife. Don't forget to do a quick scan before you leave, such as checking under towels and around loungers. It's also a good idea to bring a small zip pouch to store any rubbish until you find a bin.

Snorkelling trips, diving and wildlife encounters can be a highlight of any ocean holiday, but only when run responsibly. If you're booking an activity for your holiday, vet an operator like you'd vet a hotel: look for clear rules, small groups, and guides who put wildlife first. Before you book, ask four quick questions:

1. Are you permitted or licensed for this activity in this area?
2. What distance and group-size rules do you follow around wildlife?
3. Do you provide a wildlife briefing before we enter the water?
4. Do you have a strict no-touch, no-feed policy for marine animals?

If in doubt, be wary of operators who guarantee animal sightings, encourage touching or feeding, or show no visible permits. The most responsible experiences prioritise respectful observation — and they tend to feel better as a guest, too.

When you go for a swim in the sea, you might not realise that you could have an impact on marine life. Most direct ecosystem damage from travellers is accidental: standing on coral, kicking up sediment over seagrass, or getting too close to wildlife for a photo. A good way to respect marine life is to float horizontally when possible, use sandy patches for entry and exit, and don't touch anything — not coral, not shells, not "just a rock". Rinse off heavy lotions and insect repellent before swimming whenever possible.

Good to know: Coral can grow as little as 1 cm per year, so one careless fin kick can destroy decades of growth.

Everyone likes a clean, pristine beach on holiday. If you want one action that feels immediate, join a local clean-up to keep the beaches looking beautiful (and free of harmful plastic pollution). To find your nearest event, ask at hotel reception, check with local dive shops, or search social media for your destination name plus "beach clean". No organised event nearby? Do a "10-minute mini pick": set a timer, walk a short stretch of beach, and collect safe litter. As a rule, it's always good to leave the beach better than you found it.

You don't need to be by the coast to help protect our oceans. From plastic pollution to the health of marine ecosystems, the impact of our everyday choices is felt far beyond the shoreline. At Novotel, we're committed to building ocean awareness across our global network, with more than 3,200 team members having completed Ocean Awareness training developed with AXA Climate (as of mid-May 2026). Guests can also explore the underwater world through the Novotel Virtual Reality Ocean Exhibition, launched in June 2026 across twelve flagship properties worldwide. Developed in partnership with Novotel Ocean Defender Kaushiik Subramaniam, the immersive experience showcases protected marine environments through his underwater photography, helping to bring the importance of ocean conservation to travellers wherever they are.

While not every Novotel hotel sits by the sea, we believe protecting our oceans is everyone's responsibility. The impact of plastic pollution, food systems and climate change is felt far beyond the coastline, which is why we're helping build ocean awareness across our global network.

The best holiday habits are the ones you can keep without effort. If you've found a reusable bottle that fits your day bag, or discovered you enjoy plant-forward lunches, take that momentum home. Or if you enjoyed doing a beach clean-up, see if there are any similar events near you. After your holiday, you can also write reviews mentioning the sustainable practices you noticed; it rewards the businesses doing the work and nudges others to follow.

To learn more about the conservation projects supported through Novotel's WWF partnership — from Posidonia meadow protection to ghost gear removal and turtle tracking — visit the Novotel × WWF ocean partnership page.

Protecting the ocean doesn't require a perfect holiday, just a few thoughtful choices that add up over time. Whether it's packing a reusable bottle, choosing reef-safe sunscreen, supporting responsible seafood, or respecting marine wildlife, every small action helps preserve our coastlines for future travellers. And when you're planning your next trip, staying with Novotel means many of these choices are already made from the moment you check in, making travelling more responsibly that little bit easier.

We protect the ocean by reducing the pressures we directly influence: cutting plastic waste, choosing seafood responsibly to ease overfishing, and avoiding direct damage to habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows. On holiday, that means packing reusables, choosing responsible marine tours, and behaving carefully in the water. It also includes supporting businesses and destinations that can show real, measurable action, because systems matter as much as individual choices.

Plastic pollution harms the ocean when litter escapes waste systems and enters waterways, eventually reaching the sea. Marine animals can ingest plastic or become entangled, and larger pieces break down into microplastics that persist in the environment. Tourism increases plastic waste through takeaway packaging, bottles and beach-bar items, which is why reusables and simple refusal habits make such a difference on a coastal holiday.

Tourism affects marine ecosystems in three main ways: it can increase waste (especially plastics), raise demand for seafood (contributing to overfishing), and cause direct physical damage through overcrowding, irresponsible wildlife interactions, or careless snorkelling. Responsible tourism reduces those impacts by choosing well-managed operators, following wildlife rules, and avoiding fragile areas when conditions or skill levels make damage more likely.

Novotel is a proud partner of WWF, working to champion the protection and restoration of the world's oceans through science-based action and conservation projects. WWF France provides technical expertise to Novotel's 600+ hotels worldwide, guiding the brand across areas such as sustainable seafood policies, ocean awareness and conservation. The partnership is built on a three-year action plan rooted in three UN ocean priorities: reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, fighting overfishing and promoting sustainable fishing, and increasing scientific knowledge and research for ocean health.

Novotel's Positive Impact Plan spans four pillars: reducing impact, offering more eco-responsible food, strengthening ocean education, and contributing to research. In practice, that includes 50% of hotels offering menus with at least 25% plant-powered dishes (with an aim to hit 100% by the end of the year), more than 3,200 staff completing ocean awareness training, and two new educational games developed with WWF for children and families. Novotel also funds five WWF France conservation projects worldwide — including protecting Mediterranean Posidonia seagrass (41 low-impact mooring buoys installed in 2025) and tracking marine turtles across the Asia-Pacific and Western Atlantic.

Kaushiik Subramaniam is an award-winning wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and conservation biologist from the UK. As Novotel’s Ocean Defender, he combines his powerful visual storytelling with Novotel’s global reach to raise awareness and inspire guests to take meaningful, everyday actions to protect the ocean.

The biggest threats include plastic pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction (coral reefs and seagrass), and wider pressures linked to climate change and ocean warming. For travellers, the most practical focus is the part you can influence immediately: plastics, food choices, and avoiding direct ecosystem damage. Small, repeatable holiday decisions, like the sunscreen you use, the tour you book, what you leave behind on the beach, are more powerful than they look.

Ocean health supports people, wildlife and the climate. The ocean helps regulate global temperatures, supports livelihoods and food security for billions, and provides around half of the Earth's oxygen. For travellers, it's also straightforward: tourism depends on healthy seas. Clear water, thriving wildlife and resilient coastlines are part of what make coastal destinations worth visiting in the first place.

Slow travel helps by reducing repeated transport emissions through fewer flights and long drives. Staying longer in one destination also supports local businesses more consistently, including sustainable fisheries and community-led conservation. Choose one coastline and explore it well, rather than trying to cover three in a week.