As uncertainty around travel continues, UK holiday bookings are booming again. Besides breathing life into the country’s economy, it also has a positive impact on the environment.
According to the Global Carbon Project, carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by about 60% during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic, largely because of the mass grounding of aeroplanes.
But after many months of staying indoors, most people are now ready to embark on an exotic gateway. Following are reasons why we strongly believe that a holiday in the UK is a green choice.
Taking The Train
The coronavirus pandemic has forced most of us to opt for staycations and there are many great gems to explore – whether it’s a scenic national park or the charming seaside towns.
Luckily, we aren’t confined to the wet weekends forever. Rather than binge flying for different city breaks each year, consider a long trip along with some short-flight free jaunts that are closer to your home.
Destinations like London, Liverpool and Manchester are quicker to reach by train.
Greener Flights
It’s an undisputed fact that travelling by air is carbon-intensive. Every passenger on a flight from Singapore to London accounts for about 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This can be equated to heating a home for 365 days.
Therefore, even though we cannot remain at home forever, we can still make smart choices when travelling overseas again.
You can save more than 544 kilos of carbon dioxide in a flight from Miami to London Heathrow by choosing a green airline. The good news is that most of the UK airlines are greener, which makes you significantly reduce the impact you have on the planet by choosing such travel options.
Many Eco-Accommodations
In this post-covid-19 pandemic world, most of us are currently booking accommodations to help aid social distancing. This is a more sustainable option. A hotel bedroom emits about 15 tonnes of carbon every year, which is about 51/2 times over the average UK household. This is primarily down to the water and energy consumption, from linen and laundering towels and other facilities such as air-con, fridges, and lights.
When booking a B&B or hotel, you should scan its site to check whether it’s concerned about the environment. A great eco-friendly hotel will make efforts to recycle more, use renewable sources of energy, efficient LED lighting, and change linen less.
References
Shearing, H. (2021, May 7). Green list countries: New rules for England revealed. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57026936
Staff, R. (2021, April 30). Britain urged to publish list of “green” countries for travel. U.S. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-travel-idUSKBN2CH2SL
Reluctant to vacation abroad, britons are pitching a tent and sticking close to home. (2020, August 24). The New York Times – Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/business/reluctant-to-vacation-abroad-britons-are-pitching-a-tent-and-sticking-close-to-home.html