RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL TO DROP ALL INTERNAL FLIGHTS UNDER 1 HOUR

The holiday company Responsible Travel is to drop all internal jet flights of less than an hour across its 6,000 trips by January.

The ban is part of wider company measures to cut emissions without use of carbon offsets. Bosses believe the future of travel is to fly less, stay longer and pick a trip that benefits local communities and nature.

CEO Justin Francis said: “The inescapable truth is that we have to fly less. As individuals, of course we can make that choice but business needs to shoulder its share of responsibility.”

Last year, the activist travel company committed to a 55% reduction in CO2 per traveller by 2030 without the use of carbon offsets, which it scrapped in 2009.

Mr Francis added: “We have to shelve the myth that we can offset our way out of the climate crisis. That’s not a solution to reducing emissions, it’s false advertising designed to perpetuate flying as usual.”

Responsible Travel Campaigns

The travel company also became the first to sign up to the Get Nature Positive campaign, committing to a biodiversity net gain this decade.

Additional carbon reduction efforts at the company include increasing its flight-free, rail and domestic holidays as well as more electric vehicles, renewably-powered accommodations and vegan products.

The holiday company reported that bookings have almost doubled in the five years since 2017, compared to the previous five, despite the pandemic.

A spokesperson told ITB Newsroom: “Both enquiries and bookings for specifically flight-free rail holidays have tripled in the same time, though our offerings have also risen.”

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