14 February 2008 'Green' travel
Carbon footprint, eco-friendly and short-haul versus long-haul travel are all watch words in the minds of contemporary carbon-conscientious holidaymakers.
However, arguably the majority of travellers do not wish to compromise in terms of comfort and enjoyment when it comes to their annual break, meaning that a mutually beneficial eco-friendly travel system needs to be hit upon.
And there are a number of different types of holiday that could appeal to Brits who wish to enjoy a top quality holiday while keeping a relatively clean eco-conscience.
One purported method of minimising holidaymakers impact on the environment is to consider rail travel.
For Britons who want to travel on the continent, STA Travel recently reported that travel by InterRail offers a "totally flexible" means of green travel and is also a "popular" way in which to explore Europe.
A spokesperson for the company reported that such travel is reliable and enables holidaymakers to visit up to 30 countries.
"InterRailing continues to be one of the most popular ways to explore Europe. With frequent, reliable, comfortable services straight to the heart of your destination it's a fantastic way to travel," she added.
Indeed, last year property consultant VEF stated that better rail accessibility was encouraging "huge numbers" of environmentally-aware holidaymakers to opt for France as for a holiday over other destinations.
France is appealing, it was argued, as holidaymakers who have concerns about the environment do not need to travel by plane, but by transport which is carbon neutral in terms of emissions.
The trend of eco-conscious travel looks like it is here to stay. In an increasingly climate cognisant world, more consumers are opting for greener and more socially responsible holidays.
Responsibletravel.com notes that climate change is seeing Britons become more aware of the impacts tourism can have on local communities and cultures as well as the earth.
A spokesperson for the company added that responsible tourism is about "maximising the positive impacts" of tourism on both the environment and the culture of those who live there.
Ecotourism itself is becoming increasingly popular. Ocean Conservancy recently announced its new Sea Turtle Ecological Expeditions conservation tourism programme.
The programme, underway in Mexico, works to inform travellers about sea turtles and areas where local conservation efforts are underway.
Organisers claim that this generates support for sea turtle protection while ultimately increasing community resources.
Tourists are also given turtle-watching guidelines to reduce the negative impacts on the creatures.
Ocean Conservancy claims it is moving away from the idea of tourists not impacting on the environment when they visit, but is instead aiming for tourists to make a positive impact through conservation tourism.
"Sea turtle populations face serious threats from getting caught in fishing gear and from market demand for turtle meat, eggs and shells. People who are on the ground protecting sea turtles where turtles feed or nest can make the biggest positive impact for the animals," Dr Wallace J Nichols, a senior scientist with Ocean Conservancy and leading international sea turtle expert commented.
He added that the programme aims to "empower and support communities" too, as tourists are encouraged to take sea turtle tours run by former fishermen, thereby bringing money into communities.
However, conscientious holidaymakers do not need to necessarily give up their much-loved annual beach holiday in order to reduce their impact on the environment, it has been claimed.
Last year, Leo Hickman, author of The Final Call: In Search of the True Cost of Our Holidays, told the Telegraph that traditional, popular beach holiday resorts could be good examples of tourism management.
Mr Hickman even cited Spain's perennially popular Benidorm as a "model" example for responsible travel.
The author claimed that as tourists enjoying holidays in Benidorm tended to be based in a concentrated area and in high-rise buildings, there was a smaller impact on the environment.
He argued that "by staying in tourist hotspots like Benidorm or Cancun, holidaymakers are lessening their environmental impact through improved economies of scale".
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