Brits to Shun Overseas Trips And Air Travel In Bid To Become More Sustainable

Covid has changed the way Brits holiday, as nearly a quarter (24%) reveal they intend to go on more staycations than trips abroad, and 22% will change how they get around the UK and abroad, post-Coronavirus.

Seen as part of the ‘Covid Climate Effect’, more than a quarter (27%) say the pandemic and its side effects have motivated them to adopt more environmentally friendly travel behaviours - more than double the amount influenced by environmental activist Greta Thunberg (12%), according to the research by YouGov for rail operator LNER.

Younger generations are leading the way as half (48%) of millennials (25-34) say they will spend time on home soil than overseas, and nearly a quarter (23%) of those aged 18-24 admit they are rethinking their future use of flying to get away both in the UK and abroad, more than any other generation.  

One in five (20%) are reconsidering air travel for future trips, whilst a third (33%) are looking to increase their use of trains, with those aged 18-24 selecting rail (46%) as their favourite method of transport for holidays within the UK and abroad. Over half (57%) of Brits took one to five abroad trips every year prior to Covid, but this drops to only 40% when thinking about how many they’ll take in 2021 and beyond.  

In fact, six in 10 UK adults (58%) are now making an effort to live more sustainably generally, compared to just 20% who didn’t stop and think about their lifestyle and the effect it had on the environment prior to lockdown. 

When it comes to the reasons WHY people are making these changes, a quarter (28%) say stockpiling made them more environmentally friendly, admitting it made them think about how much they consume generally. Sir David Attenborough joining social media (12%) and watching more sustainable lifestyles in documentaries like Zac Efron’s ‘Down To Earth’ (7%) also had an impact.

Brits also pointed to noticing a reduction in air and noise pollution (40%), spending more time outside, in their garden or local parks (40%) and being able to hear birdsong and take more notice of nature (38%) as the biggest reasons for becoming more environmentally conscious since lockdown.

UK adults are keen to keep these habits going too - over four in 10 (43%) reveal they will or would consider recycling more in the future, with shopping at local stores (28%), using less water (26%) and growing their own veg (23%) topping the nation’s eco-resolutions for the future.

With the nation turning green, LNER is encouraging the use of more sustainable methods of transport for future travel plans with its new fleet of electric bi-mode Azuma trains, which produce less than a third of the carbon of other modes of transport.

LNER Managing Director, David Horne, said: “Despite how hard the past few months have been, it is positive to see how as a nation we’re collectively striving towards a greener future.

 “Lockdown made many people stop and think about the world we live in, and how we can protect our planet – it’s so encouraging to see younger generations leading the way here, swapping overseas jaunts for staycations in the wake of Covid.

 ”When it comes to reaching a UK holiday destination, it's no secret that trains are one of the most sustainable ways to travel, producing less than a third of the carbon of other modes of transport and proving just as fast, door-to-door.”