A growing awareness of the environmental impact of travel has persuaded many Brits that a holiday within these shores is the way forward.
Research from Halifax Travel Insurance reveals that a quarter of Britons are making plans for a UK holiday this year, largely motivated by an acute understanding of climate change and 'carbon footprints'.
On the other hand, the December survey indicated that air passenger duty on short-haul flights would need to quadruple to discourage most holidaymakers from flying.
Air passenger duty on long-haul flights - which currently stands at £40 - would need to rise to £128 to dissuade most travellers from jetting off to their destinations.
There are some encouraging signs, however, including the fact that 5.8 million Brits are planning to use the likes of trains and ferries to reach their destinations this year. Of those committed to flying, 4.2 million will register their concern for the environment by reducing their annual holiday air miles.
David Rochester, head of pricing for Halifax Travel Insurance, said: "It's encouraging that nearly half of Britain's holidaymakers are proactively planning to minimise their own holiday carbon footprints, but there's still a lot more to be done to convince and educate the rest."
Indeed, 54 per cent of holidaymakers revealed that they will not take any proactive measures to minimise their carbon footprint, indicating that the majority of people support Tony Blair's laissez-faire attitude to travel.
The prime minister told Sky news that he does not intend to give up his holidays abroad to set an example on climate change and he stressed that being green should not stop people from enjoying their leisure time.
Blair, who recently enjoyed a family holiday in Florida, believes that the answer lies in developing cleaner technologies that allow people to travel to their desired destinations without leaving a substantial carbon footprint.
© Adfero Ltd
