Take a look at a recent article from Travelio about UK tourism and our involvement through uktourism.co.uk
More British holidaymakers are choosing to holiday in the UK, not only to save money in the tough economic climate, but also to decrease their carbon footprint, claims web portal uktourism.co.uk.
Commenting on British Tourism Week, which runs from 12 to 20 March, Ginna Clark from uktourism.co.uk explains, “Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of their lifestyles on the environment and the case for reducing your carbon footprint by enjoying holidays in our own fantastic islands is very compelling for the green holidaymaker.”
A 2009 poll by YouGov found that 54% of Brits have become more concerned about the environmental impact of flying over the last five years. The results of this poll may explain why more British people are considering holidaying at home instead of jetting off to continental Europe for example.
By avoiding flights, and instead driving or taking the train to a British holiday destination, a carbon footprint can be decreased significantly. For example, a family a four flying from London to Tenerife and back would be responsible for around 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere. On the other hand, the same family of four could drive from London to Kendal in the Lake District, and back, releasing only 0.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process. In other words, by choosing the Lake District as a holiday destination a family would produce only two per-cent of the emissions that they would by flying to a European destination such as Spain.
The benefits for the planet become even more apparent when you consider the environmental impact of long-haul flights, such as Manchester to Orlando, in Florida. A family of four would be responsible for emitting up to 13.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the planet’s atmosphere. However, a family of four driving from Manchester to St Austell in Cornwall, home of the Eden project, would only create just 0.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
In the current economic climate, holidaying in Britain may prove to not only be more practical for many families but also much more cost effective. Ginna Clark from uktourism.co.uk suggests “People may find planning their summer holiday difficult, due to financial circumstances – but there are great savings to be made by holidaying in the UK.”
“We have found that at a time when everybody’s household budget is under pressure that more and more people are looking into holidaying in Britain this year, with Devon, Cornwall and the Lake District looking like the most popular areas for this year,” she added.
A wide range of regional and special interest UK holiday brochures can be found at uktourism.co.uk
*CO2 emissions calculated using Carbonica’s Carbon Footprint Calculator.