Are you considering a ‘green’ holiday?

Ancient Roman society were responsible for what we now know and love as a holiday. Whether we’re holidaying across the UK or taking a trip abroad, we always look forward to our short break away from work. However, did you know that a lot of wealthy Romans took holidays that lasted two years?

We may be jealous of the Roman’s lengthy time away from work, but we’re travelling more frequently than ever before. So much so, the Office for National Statistics reported that in 2017 there were 72.8 million visits overseas by UK residents, showing a 3% increase on the previous year. This figure is only set to increase even further after a survey of 25,000 British travellers found that 11% of respondents would like to travel more in the future.

Changes within the travel sector are changing though, which is beneficial for this new interest in green holidays. But what does that actually mean for holidaymakers, local communities and businesses across the globe?

The alternative trip

We looked at whether people showed an online interest in ‘ecofriendly hotels’ and ‘green holidays’, and each phrase showed a positive trend over time. Along with veganism, flexitarianism and other lifestyle choices, these types of holidays have captured the public’s attention and will likely become the norm for future generations who will be more environmentally conscious.

Booking.com released a travel report that suggested almost 90% of globe-trotters want to become more sustainable when it comes to embarking on a trip. With such high figures, it’s clear that this is a market more businesses in the hospitality and travel market should be tapping into. You could argue that sustainable travel is subject to a person's environmental standpoint, and while this is true, the same report also revealed that 46% of people believe sustainable travel is staying in an eco-friendly or green accommodation.

When it comes to choosing this accommodation type, there are countless ideas behind it. For example, 40% said that they wanted to reduce their environmental impact. On the other hand, 34% said this was to have a locally relevant experience and a further 33% said they wanted to feel good about where they rested.

However, people had different views on this topic. 60% said that this idea sparked from taking in the natural sights from their previous trips – such as coral and rain forests. Also, 54% said that they had noticed the visible impact tourism had on places that they themselves had visited, while 47% went on to say that their decision was after seeing the positive impact sustainable tourism had on local communities. Furthermore, 32% said they felt guilty about how their holidays impact the environment.

Often, people are put of green holidays as they are deemed too expensive — in comparison to package-deal trips that are becoming notoriously cheap. As these trips tend to require fine planning and research, they could potentially be more costly than your average trip to Spain. However, 67% of travellers in the report said that they were prepared to spend up to 5% more on their travel to ensure it had a low impact on the environment.

As a result of this, customers are looking for a new way of planning a trip. Figures from the same survey found that four in 10 people say that booking sites should offer an eco-friendly filter. Although this doesn’t seem like a step a lot of travel sites are taking, some have began adding pages to represent these trips and advertise them publicly. As well as this, 32% of people call for an international standard that can identify eco-friendly accommodation.

Meet the people

Fair trade holidays are going to be the next big thing, as youngers people are looking for an experience that is much more fulfilling. Holidaymakers can integrate themselves into the communities who are behind the products we frequently buy — such as fair trade vegan chocolate!

The Meet the People Tours will enable you to understand different cultures around the world in person. Just like the fair trade products we buy, these trips are organised so that the people living and working in these communities are better off as a result.

You will never look back from this either. From visiting development projects and having your ideas of developing countries challenged, you’ll truly feel that you’re making a difference from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

James is an Outreach Executive at Mediaworks Online Marketing and covers a number of clients across a wide range of business sectors, helping them to grow their online portfolios through engaging content.