Only 42% consider environmental sustainability of holidays?

[EveSix]

Just came across this survey at the bottom of another thread.
Is this really representative? Or is it that most people are planning rustic camping holidays in the UK so genuinely don't need to worry much about the environmental impact of their holiday?
I'm surprised. If I think about various social contexts I'm part of (colleagues, friendship circle, DCs' school, extended family etc) not many people would announce a foreign holiday involving flights without a little bit of apologetic cringeing.
Or am looking at it the wrong way around, and 42% is perhaps a big improvement on the previous decade?

I do consider it. We haven't flown (or left the UK) since 2014 but have booked a holiday abroad this summer as I wanted my children to have that experience but it was a difficult decision to fly having tried not to for so long. I decided on balance that the benefit to the children was worth the environmental impact but it won't be something we do often.

Daisy, you're right, my title is worded wrong! It was late 🙄Thank you for pointing it out.
But 42% "not at all"-ing is still a big chunk. Only a combined 44% consider it "a lot" or "a bit", so a marginal up-tick, not much in it.

The rest are undecided, which is baffling on its own.

@daisypond i thought it was me 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

Most UK holidays are more expensive than abroad. We already have a caravan in Dorset so go. But if you had to book uk, centreparks, or even most Dorset holidays in a caravan or park or site, are more expensive than a £1k holiday for 4, all inclusive, to one of the Spanish islands at Easter. With col crisis, money matters more than green to some.

Sorry, French!
Not sure I can be bothered to request a title edit though 😑

Actually, I will.
@MNHQ Could you please change the "42%" in this thread title to "44%" to avoid confusion. Thank you!

I dont consider it, and I dont know anyone who does. Quite honestly Im embarrassed for the people who you say do the cringy apologetic thing, never even heard of that.

Where on earth are you getting an AI holiday for 4 people for 1k 😂😂 a decade ago perhaps!

UK parks are cheap. Nobody is paying the same as an abroad holiday to stay in a caravan in Dorset.

Just did a very quick search for Dorset caravan park…
£240 for 4 people for 7 nights in April.
You wouldn’t get one person AI for a week in April in the canaries for £240.

Oblomov23 yet every thread I see in the Holidays topic seems to involve budgets that, to my pocket, seem insane. "Where shall we go in Spain in July, we only have a budget of 5k for 4 people for 2 weeks?"

WTAF?! Our Interrailing is going to be about 1500 for 2 weeks for travelling and accommodation, as was our 3 week camping/driving tour around France last year!

Ambiguously worded survey - 'consider' environmental sustainability' could mean anything from 'I consciously choose a green holiday' to 'I considered the impact of my third long-haul flight this year but decided that I deserve the holiday and booked it anyway.'

most people are concerned enough to caveat foreign holiday announcements with "I know it isn't great but..." (indicating they have considered environmental sustainability).

But what's the point of that? Thinking things and feeling things doesn't actually do anything. Being concerned but doing it anyway is pointless!

Thats because, for some unfathomable reason, people think a UK holiday is either in a hotel or on a caravan or lodge park. Hideously expensive for either of those options

We grab very cheap trips away by using self catering airbnb or holiday cottage websites. Our trips abroad are much more expensive usually because of cost of getting to airports, car parking, the general stuff you need, transfers, plus we dont go to 'holiday resorts'.

I think you can only expect people to be selfless up to a point and holidays is where the balance often tips. A lot of my friends and family really love holidays and travel, it’s the highlight of their year. And so they find ways to justify the environmental impact to themselves because giving up the holiday is just something they wouldn’t consider, foreign travel is too important to them.

I’ve never been a holiday person so I get to feel smug about flying a lot less often than others, but really it’s just not that hard for me. There are other choices I’ve made (e.g. I drive DD to school in the next village rather than sending her to our closest school which is walkable) and I know it’s worse for the environment but that’s my tipping point, where I’m not willing to be selfless.

DH said he read that eating a leg of lamb had the same carbon footprint as a flight to NY! He usually tells us when we're eating lamb
Giving up flights is a lot easier (but potentially less impact) than giving up meat.

No I don't consider it. I have 3 holidays booked this year all involving flights. I don't have children, share a car with my DH, drive less than 5000 miles a year and holidays are our one indulgence. We are in our 60s so don't worry - we will soon be reduced to UK coach trips 🙄

Surprised it’s that high tbh.

On another thread, a poster asks what current practices will be on the wrong side of history?

Cheap flights will be on the list.

I haven’t been abroad for years, but quite a few those I know who do, and have to fly, do pay for carbon offsetting.

Yes, it's sad. This summer we're flying to Europe for the first time in a decade and I feel bad about it. Find myself making the same excuses as many people have already on this thread.

What can you do... humans are selfish creatures!

Carbon offsetting = medieval indulgences. It’s a way the wealthy can do what they want, guilt free. If you take a plane nothing you do offsets this. I can’t commit murder, but offset it because I do a lot for charity.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · Today 10:51
Carbon offsetting = medieval indulgences. It’s a way the wealthy can do what they want, guilt free. If you take a plane nothing you do offsets this. I can’t commit murder, but offset it because I do a lot for charity“

Quite.

Why would anybody have to apologise for taking a holiday with a flight. There are so many worse things.

The flights go anyway. Global business means we need to travel. If the plane flies less full it makes no difference. It's a necessary service. Eventually we will get planes that run on a different more eco friendly fuel. People would be better off pressuring the government to push giant corporate polluters to stop.

Why, in 2023, does global business mean we need to travel? There might be a handful of instances where someone needs to fly somewhere to do something in person, but surely digital solutions mean most things could be accomplished without the need for travel.

@PlaitBilledDuckyPuss There are loads of reasons things need to be done in person. Audits of manufacturing sites
Regulatory audits by government agencies mean a whole team flies in to support.
Sales training for hands on products
Physician proctoring in medical procedures
Team meetings (it makes a huge difference to productivity see each other at least once or twice a year)
Attending conferences

I could go on and on and on. There are plenty of reasons for business travel.