Every family loves to travel. Bringing your children to new and exciting places bring the family closer together and allows the children to immerse themselves in activities not usually available to them. Sometimes trying to travel while also being environmentally friendly is a hard thing to do, and a lot of times it get put on the back burner for families trying to travel.

The benefits of sustainable travel are endless. If you're looking for that added reason that will force you to travel green, here are 15 reasons why traveling green is not only good for the environment, but good for your family as well.

1. It's good for the environment.

2. It's good for your children and future generations. By being a responsible tourist you'll do your part to ensure that the places you visit will still be there 15, 50, even 500 years from now.

3. You'll save money. Green travel is often cheaper than traditional travel. When you burn through fewer resources, you spend less money.

4. You'll have something interesting to talk about. Trust us, when you hike (instead of drive four treacherous miles up a snowy mountain in Siberia in search of the village's only ATM machine, only to find out the power is out, you'll have a new story to tell at parties.

5. You'll make friends. A great way to travel green is to stay at a hostel and cook in the hostel's kitchen. The kitchen is often the communal area in a hostel and is a great place to make friends with other globetrotters.

6. You'll meet interesting locals. Two words: Public transportation. By using public transportation you cut back on the emissions your own car would have been giving off. Also, 'people watching' is a plus and can even be educational.

7. You'll get off the beaten track. Trying to find organic lettuce in the middle of Siberia will definitely put you somewhere you'd never thought you'd go. Even going to organic markets in cities can sometimes be off the beaten track and can introduce you to cultures and areas of a new city you never would have explored otherwise.

8. You'll learn the local life. Locals often live greener because it's more economical, especially in some European countries and Canada. They are more likely to take public transportation or bike, spend an afternoon in the park, or eat an interesting local food than the tourist will.

9. You'll lose weight (or it will at least be good for your health). Walking more, eating healthier, consuming less = the perfect healthy diet plan. These activities are also amazing bonding experiences to have with your family. It gives you time to catch up and learn things about their lives that would be lost in a car ride when the kids would have their headphones on.

10. There will be more to see/future vacations. Green travel is now imperative to any sort of travel in the future. If you want to take a trip later, travel green now.

11. You'll strengthen your brain. If you're new to "going green" you will quickly learn to see things from a different perspective and keep your mind active.

12. You can focus on the travel. When you focus less on what you consume, you can focus more on what you came to see and experience. When the kids complain about being bored, here are some green travel toys that will entertain for hours.

13. You'll feel good about yourself. When you "do good" you feel a little better about yourself as a person and what you contribute to this world. And you'll realize what an impact you can make.

14. It's not as hard as you think. Once you get the hang of it, traveling green becomes second nature. All it takes is a few minor changes and maybe a big one here or there. In the end the question isn't "why travel green?" but "why not travel green?"

15. It's trendy. Green is the new black. When more travelers go green it's good for the environment.

Melissa Rubin is a senior copywriter and Web developer at OTO Networks, a digital marketing company located in Baltimore, Maryland. Her primary responsibilities include SEO, link building and creating content for multiple sites. A preview of a site on which she has worked, http://www.GreenParentingSolutions.com, is available with this article.