We wanted to give you a few simple sustainable travel ideas:
Choose one or two longer holidays in the UK as opposed to flying somewhere for a weekend city break. Holiday at a slower pace and more mindfully. It will make you more relaxed and save on fuel.
Go deeper, not wider (see less, but spend more time there) it saves money and you get a better experience. Whilst exploring the UK consider using local tour guides to add a level of depth to your visit. Do some research or ask locals for ideas about local hidden gems, especially in well-known places where the over-exposure to tourism may be taking its toll on the landscape and infrastructure. Consider visiting attractions in the shoulder season or off-peak hours.
Choose experiences, not things. What are some of the experiences you can only do at this particular location? Choose to gift yourself a local event such as a concert, talk or a cooking class. It makes for much better stories and long-lasting memories of feel-good moments.
Eat locally sourced food, it is sustainable, immersive and often much better than eating at fast food chains. Choose cafes or restaurants with a sustainable food ethos, like using local, seasonal ingredients, reducing their waste and donating leftovers. Eat less) meat and try a vegetarian or vegan restaurant.
Carry reusable drinks / water container. Many places offer free refills. Visitors can download the Refill app from the App Store or Google Play to connect them to places to eat, drink and shop with less waste. Wales aims to be the world’s first Refill Nation. Loggerheads, Llangollen and Ruthin have signed up, which means that participating shops, pubs, cafés and hotels all welcome the public for free water refills on their premises. There are also schemes at Rhyl and Prestatyn as part of the network of refill stations along the Wales Coast Path. With the help of Surfers Against Sewage, Llangollen, Ruthin and Prestatyn are certified Plastic Free Communities and Rhyl and Denbigh are all communities in progress. Together we’re tackling avoidable single-use plastic, from the beach all the way back to the brands and businesses who create it.
