10 minute read
Give yourself – and the planet – a break
More Brits are looking to travel sustainably than ever before – but what’s the best way to do it? •
Now that trips abroad have been given the green light • again, thousands of Brits are unapologetically packing their bags and jet setting. However, awareness of how we’re travelling, and the subsequent impact it • has, is continuing to grow with the ‘pandemic eff ect’ further encouraging travellers to opt for more sustainable measures.
In fact, Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2021 has found that 43% of UK travellers say the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future, whilst 64% say they want to stay in a sustainable accommodation in the upcoming year. The latter has seen a notable increase from previous years, from 44% in 2016, and 50% in 2020, prior to the pandemic.
Marianne Gybels, director of sustainability for Booking.com adds: “The good intentions are there on all sides, but there is still a lot of work to be done to make sustainable travel an easy choice for everyone.”
With there still being some uncertainty surrounding travelling, some Brits are still naturally drawn to a staycation. For those with an environmental conscience, the perfect trip could be Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, where sustainability is a watchword. Although best known for its impressive maritime heritage, the city is now a community with plastic-free status and off ers the chance to enjoy a sustainable adventure, celebrate nature and learn about conservation initiatives while helping to reduce harm – litter pick with Plymouth Gin anyone?
Larkhill Tipis and Yurts is an eco-friendly glamping site that is set within 20 acres of land with stunning views over Carmarthen and Cardigan Bay. The entire campsite is run by alternative energy – wind and solar, with electricity coming from solar, hydro and wind power and the tipis heated by a cast-iron wood burner.
Battlesteads in Wark is one of the UK’s most proactive eco hotels, including bee-friendly hedgerows, a pesticide-free garden, a wildlife meadow and built-in bird and bat boxes. The property also boasts a In the spotlight Biostays
The climate crisis is knocking at the front door ever louder. Biostays are pioneers, and aim to make a diff erence. Explore the world’s best eco-friendly hotels and experiences, and if you book on their website, they protect two acres of rainforest permanently. Visit biostays.com and follow @biostays
dark sky observatory to allow guests to look out to the night sky.
The lure of jumping on a plane again can be too much of a temptation for others though. But there are plenty of ways you can still travel sustainably without the guilt from fl ying.
To counteract the CO2 emissions from aviation, interestingly, 36% have made more sustainable travel choices over the past 12 months*, through small changes such as: turning off their air conditioning or heating in their accommodation when they are not there, bringing reusable water bottles and doing activities to support local communities.
Hotels are committed to implementing proactive measures too, including The Europe Hotel & Resort in Ireland, with measures such as running on renewable energy, conserving natural resources, recycling throughout the hotel, and utilising EV charging points throughout.
For those looking to rejuvenate while getting a bit of sunshine, TheLifeCo Wellbeing in Turkey, a detox centre favoured by the stars, supports vegan charities and sources produce from local communities or plants their own.
Meanwhile The Retreat at Blue Lagoon’s exclusive spa switches out tourist-trap for sustainable wellness. These suites are heated from the geothermal lagoon, off ering an extraordinary volcanic experience, making it the ultimate Icelandic sustainable stay.
So whether you are opting for a staycation, or jet setting to an eco-hotel, there’s so many ways that travellers can make steps to help our planet, no matter where they are in the world.
by Laura Forsyth
The climate crisis is here, what is the travel industry doing about it?
Coronavirus has been around for nearly two years now, and with new variants emerging, normality still feels a little way off . The pandemic has changed how people do things, forever. However, a much larger and more urgent problem looms, and that’s the climate crisis. What is done in the next decade will determine how humans survive this storm.
Biostays is a pioneer in the travel industry – the world’s fi rst dedicated eco-hotel and experience booking website that protects the rainforests of the planet with every booking.
Founded in 2020 by Edgar Whalley after witnessing the eff ects of climate change in the Japan Alps, Biostays vow to protect vulnerable ecosystems whilst simultaneously encouraging people to visit the most stunning destinations in the world. Each booking will save at least two acres of rainforest automatically, because Biostay sends a portion of revenue to their global rainforest protection partner. Moreover, many of the hotels on biostays. com can’t be found on other major travel websites, and every hotel or experience on biostays.com has
been handpicked by the team to meet two criteria – sustainability, and how off -the-beaten-path or close to nature they are.
Tourism and air travel make up a large portion of global emissions. In order to mitigate any more rising in temperatures by 2050, emissions must be reduced and the destruction of the natural processes that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere needs to be halted. Deforestation is one of the strongest catalysts for global warming. Nature has a beautiful way to self-regulate and look after itself and the planet. In order to travel and enjoy the world, nature needs to be protected.
The team at Biostays love to travel, but also want to ensure the future for humans is a happy and harmonious one, working hand in hand with nature. After all, everyone wants to be able to visit, and enjoy the stunning natural beauty of the planet.
Help combat climate change by exploring the planet, and your adventure starts with Biostays.
The world is waking up to the fundamental need for lifestyle change, but a need to travel is crucial to many people’s lives
Travel habits account for a quarter of CO2 emissions in London alone1 .
Meanwhile, it’s claimed that congestion in London alone costs the economy £49 billion each year2 , with drivers in the capital spending more than six days a year in traffi c on average. • To tackle the obvious and ever-increasing challenges that • will be the key focus of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, ambitious domestic and international targets have already been set by governments.
But these targets, and the collective hope for a cleaner, greener future, are only part of the story. It’s up to everyone to choose more ecological solutions that work for them.
Pure Electric were founded in 2018, their mission to make electric transport more accessible to everyone. Now established with a headquarters in Bristol and a network of stores across the country and online, they have fast become one of the pre-eminent electric mobility brands and the largest e-bike and e-scooter retailer in the UK.
Leading the way with their own electric bike range, they’re providing a cost-eff ective avenue into clean local transport while making the journey easier for those keen to live in an eco-friendlier way. They recognise the common • shortcomings of e-bikes like cost, high weight penalties and an often confusing array of complicated technology. In response, Pure Electric’s fi rst e-bike – Pure Flux One – disrupted the market with a new, ‘back-tobasics’ off ering that brought the e-bike back to its humble bicycle beginnings. An ExpertReviews ‘Recommended’ award winner it features an uncomplicated, lightweight design with a clean carbon belt drive and simple, powerful pedal assistance system that makes everyday urban journeys easy. Pure also recognise that, much like the environmental crisis, a one-size-fi ts-all policy is never likely to transform the way society moves. So, this autumn they have launched two continental-inspired e-bikes – Pure Free City and Pure Free Step – each showcasing the sheer practicality and classical style an e-bike can off er. Both of these e-bikes are available now, retailing at £999, making them among the most aff ordable high-quality, carswappable electric transport solutions available.
Did you know?
In London, two thirds of car journeys undertaken could be made by bikes and e-bikes in 20 minutes or less3 .
Find out more
Visit pureelectric.com to shop the full award-winning range and fi nd out more.
Your Partner for EV Charging
Pretium EV Charging are dedicated to improving EV charge point infrastructure throughout the UK
Pretium EV Charging Infra & Solutions Limited were set up because of director, Pawan’s personal experiences with electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK. After much disappointment with existing EV facilities, Pawan set out to make a change. With a commitment to improving the infrastructure for all EV drivers, and thus making it easier for people to switch to the more eco-friendly driving option, the idea of Pretium EV charging was born. In less than a year, Pretium EV Charging have set up a strong foundation by delivering customercentric services in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Since their inception, the company have joined Stripe
Climate Programme by dedicating a proportion of their revenue • to carbon removal from the environment. • As a result of commitment to their values and focus on customer service, Pretium EV
Charging have strived for impartial customer feedback via Trustpilot • and have been scoring high in customer satisfaction with many positive Trustpilot reviews. Most importantly, they have set some ambitious plans for the next three years to help UK business adapt. Pretium EV Charging have set up a strong foundation by delivering customer centric services in a socially and environmentally responsible way
Consulting
The company have developed structured methodology and a team to roll out consulting services. They help businesses to understand the impact of the shift towards EVs and help them adopt this change. Pretium EV charging’s consulting team are closely working with fl eet industry in London to help them accelerate transition of their fl eet of vehicles to EVs; and with a leading golf course in the Northwest to help them plan EV charging infrastructure in their facilities for their members. Charge point operations (CPO)
To accelerate the adoption of EV charging infrastructure among businesses and apartment blocks, Pretium EV charging off er fully managed CPO services underpinned by their socially responsible fi nancial model ensuring that price for using the infrastructure remains fair to end users. Pretium EV Charging are currently working with several residential blocks and B&Bs to bring their CPO services to life in early 2022.
Distribution
Pretium EV charging have partnered with a leading logistics company ensuring fast, reliable and environmentally friendly distribution of EV Chargers to trade customers and end users alike. Installation
Pretium EV charging have partnered with several professional and customer focused electrical contractors across the country to ensure a cost eff ective and reliable installation service to their customers.
