RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER

Headline here pls Beat a retreat Part conservation site, part family farm, Kent’s Elmley National

Nature Reserve is a tranquil spot for relaxation or events

ELMLEY NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE on the Isle of Sheppey, North Kent – an hour’s drive from Gatwick airport and reachable by train – is a conservation site of international importance as well as a family farm. It is also the only National Nature Reserve in the country where you can stay overnight. Elmley’s proximity to London makes it a convenient retreat destination if you are based near the capital or visiting for work.  e 18th-century Kingshill Farmhouse on the property was launched last summer following a year-long renovation. Sitting at the heart of the 1,335-hectare reserve, it sleeps up to 14 guests across six bedrooms and can accommodate the same number of people in a traditional meeting set-up, with breakout areas and far-reaching views across the reserve.

Other accommodation options include the  ve-bedroom Elmley Cottage, which can sleep ten, and a small selection of secluded cabins and shepherd huts for couples or solo travellers.  e property can host overnight corporate gatherings for between  ve and 30 people.

For larger events, Kingshill Barn can hold 200 standing or 150 seated, with full event catering. elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

ABOVE: Dramatic views across Elmley LEFT: Kingshill

Farmhouse BELOW LEFT: Kingshill Barn event space BELOW RIGHT: The kitchen at Kingshill Farmhouse

E C O O P T I O N S I N H A M B U R G HAMBURG HAS A VARIETY OF planet-friendly venues, including the new Congress Centre Hamburg, opening at the end of August with a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system that will draw in air from the adjacent park. Meanwhile, the Mövenpick Hotel Hamburg (le ) has recently been awarded the Green Globe Certi cation in recognition of its team’s work to reduce water and energy consumption, CO2 emissions and introduce renewable energy.  e hotel, housed in a former water tower, is located in the greenery of Schanzen Park, near Hamburg Messe.

Small change, big impact

THANKS TO CUSTOMER DONATIONS,

the Emirates Airline Foundation used a 132 million Skywards Miles to positively impact the lives of more than 90,000 underprivileged people, mainly children, worldwide from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. It also donated more than AED 6.5 million to 22 projects in 12 countries with support ranging from building infrastructure to running medical programmes. Established in 2003, the foundation routinely supports 32 projects and nongovernment organisations (NGOs) in 18 countries through customer donations, corporate sponsorships and Emirates funds.

Tripit tracks tracks

The Tripit app now helps users to track and o set their carbon emissions. It’s the first travel-organising app to automatically aggregate flight emissions across providers, post-booking, giving you a holistic view of your air travel footprint. The feature will soon be available to all Tripit users – both free and Pro. The app is available from the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). now helps users to track and o set

TIME HOTELS SUPPORTS COMMUNITIESQUOTE OF THE MONTH

Every decade is consequential in its own way, but the 2020s will be consequential in a more or less permanent way

Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

ETIHAD FORGES AHEAD WITH GREEN AGENDA ETIHAD AIRWAYS HAS CONTINUED to progress its sustainability agenda, testing a range of initiatives during the wind-down and suspension of its scheduled passenger services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  e airline is working with Boeing, GE Aviation, EuroControl and others to test and implement measures to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise and its green-themed Boeing 787, the Etihad Greenliner, remains a testbed for new fuel-e ciency methods.  e aircra recently operated an optimised roundtrip  ight between Abu Dhabi and Dublin, reducing the usual journey time by 40 minutes, cutting fuel consumption by 800 kilograms and slashing carbon emissions by three tonnes over a standard Boeing 787  ight on that route.