Despite best efforts to recycle waste at home, it would appear that our eco-consciences go out the window when thinking about holidays. A survey of 9,500 travellers by holiday home specialist, holidaylettings.co.uk, reveals that just 1.5 per cent of people consciously opt for eco-friendly holiday accommodation. In addition, 77 per cent of survey respondents associate offsetting their carbon footprint…
Despite best efforts to recycle waste at home, it would appear that our eco-consciences go out the window when thinking about holidays. A survey of 9,500 travellers by holiday home specialist, holidaylettings.co.uk, reveals that just 1.5 per cent of people consciously opt for eco-friendly holiday accommodation. In addition, 77 per cent of survey respondents associate offsetting their carbon footprint with holiday-related financial burdens, admitting either: “I have other priorities” or that “I travel wherever I can afford to”.
In cash strapped times, where 64 per cent of respondents of the same survey denote holidays as “essential for quality family time and well being”, this low priority approach to the carbon footprint of holidays is perhaps not surprising, demonstrating that priorities simply lie elsewhere.
Psychologist David Royston-Lee says: “Holidays are something to work towards, to look forward to, a goal and symbol of relaxation, happiness and all things good in life. The anticipation of a holiday also pulls you through the bad times and, in particular, holidays offer the opportunity to
kick back on the social pressures of day to day life.”
Notwithstanding such pressures on consumer pockets, Holiday Lettings has experienced significant growth in demand for value for money, self-catering holidays in private holiday homes since the recession began. Demand grew by 40 per cent in 2009 and by a further 20 per cent in 2010 to date. Typically, private holiday homes encourage recycling in line with local recycling policies, therefore reducing the pressure to offset the carbon footprint of holidays whilst still encouraging contribution to the future protection of the environment.
Ross Elder, managing director of holidaylettings.co.uk, comments: “There’s no doubt about the psychological value holidays provide or the increased financial and ecological pressures we are under in society today. What is reassuring, however, is the number of holiday home owners that reduce the need for their guests to carry an eco-conscience whilst on holiday by providing various means to make waste recycling and other energy burning activities ‘low-hassle’.”
Some of the tactics employed by holiday home owners to ensure
‘low-hassle’ green holidays for their guests include:
- Use of eco-friendly pool treatment/cleaning products
- Furnishing the home/garden with sustainably sourced items
- Providing separate bins for different types of waste, including composting caddy
- Heating the pool with solar energy
- Installing timer switches on lighting in transition areas of the homes, e.g. stairwells where time spent is often limited
- Using energy saving light bulbs
- Providing eco-friendly detergent, or detergent-free laundry and dryer balls.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
