A Shift Toward Low-Carbon European Holidays

October 29, 2026 - 05:09

UK holidaymakers and the tourism industry have a real opportunity to move toward low-carbon European holidays, according to researchers. Air travel remains deeply embedded in the way many people plan and take their holidays. However, it carries a significant environmental cost, and that cost is becoming harder to ignore as climate concerns grow.

The researchers argue that the current model, in which short European breaks depend heavily on cheap flights, is not sustainable in the long term. They point to alternatives such as rail travel, which produces far lower emissions per passenger than flying. Improved cross-border train connections, overnight services, and better integration between different modes of transport could make low-carbon trips more practical for ordinary travellers.

Tourism businesses also have a role to play. Hotels, tour operators, and travel agencies could design packages that rely on trains and coaches rather than planes, and they could promote destinations that are easy to reach without flying. Clearer information about the carbon footprint of different travel options would help people make better choices.

The researchers stress that this is not about telling people to stop travelling. Instead, it is about making lower-carbon options attractive, affordable, and easy to use. If governments, transport providers, and the tourism sector work together, European holidays could become both greener and more resilient. The opportunity is real, but it requires coordinated action rather than relying on individual choices alone.