Consumers seeking information on environmental impact of holidays

Because of worsening economic conditions, travellers are changing their holiday plans for this year, with nearly half saying that they are scaling back, according to the results of a new study.

In a poll of 1,000 UK consumers, it was found that 46 per cent had already scaled back their travel plans due to the recession.

There are indications that concerns about the impact of travel on social and environmental conditions are also changing holiday plans.

Sixty-one per cent of the respondents to the survey indicated that they were intending to find out more about the environmental and social impact of their holidays, and 55 per cent said they would be choosing holiday destinations that could be reached by boat or train, rather than by plane.

Seventy-six per cent of those polled reported that they did not have sufficient information regarding the environmental and social impact of holiday travel to be able to make an informed choice.

It is expected that 2009 will be a difficult year for holiday operators, but those able to match value with social and environmental “values” are likely to fare better, and be better able to ride out the recession, according to Good Business, the corporate responsibility consultancy that commissioned the study.

Good Business founder and CEO Giles Gibbons noted: “With less money in their pockets it seems many holidaymakers plan to look for cheaper alternatives in the UK this year.”

He added: “Some might see this as good news from an environmental perspective, with reductions in things like flights.”

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.goodbusiness.co.uk