Green issues low on travellers' list of priorities

More than half of people say environmental issues have no impact on their travel decision-making, the findings of a new survey show.

The poll of 1,000 UK consumers found that 55% saying that environmental considerations do not come into play with their holiday bookings.

And only two per cent say they take the carbon offsetting option when making a holiday flight abroad, according to the findings which emerged just prior to World Travel Market's World Responsible Tourism Day today (Wednesday).

Just a handful of people have adopted specific green holidaying strategies - four per cent no longer make domestic flights and three per cent do not fly abroad, choosing to travel by rail, car or ferry.

Only three per cent ensure their destinations, such as hotels, have environmentally friendly values.

The poll by customer insight specialist G2 Data Dynamics, whose clients include World Travel Market organiser Reed Exhibitions, found that 22% now prefer to only take UK-based trips.

In addition, some 12% of respondents claim to have reduced holiday travel overall as a direct result of environmental concerns.

The company's director and global client strategist Kevin Slatter said: "Clearly this is a blow to green pressure groups and government departments keen to persuade people to think more carefully about their travel decisions.

"Tourism companies that want to make a real reduction to their impact on the environment need to think more carefully about how they get green messages across in their marketing to change the public's attitudes." Report by Phil Davies Travel Mole website.

Published: 12.11.2008