Ecotourism: Why are holidays at home more expensive than abroad?



Photo: Woodview holiday cottage

 Is eco tourism a luxury?

Package holidays are extremely popular for one main reason: the price

Indeed, it is probably the first criteria people consider when they choose a holiday. If you wish to spend 2 weeks abroad in the sun, the easiest option is to book the accommodation and travel through a travel agent. Prices are usually very good thanks to low cost airlines and the plethora of accommodations available.

Shouldn't we be encouraged to spend our holidays in our country to limit our carbon footprint? 

Yes, but there is one issue: the price.

Have you ever tried to spend 2 weeks holiday in the UK? Assuming that the weather is fairly pleasant, the main issue is finding accommodation at a reasonable price. Personally, I have always gone away for long week-ends in England (which I have thoroughly enjoyed) but never longer than 4 days because of the price of accommodations. The most attractive solution would be to hire a cottage but it is difficult to find anything cheaper than a 2-week holiday abroad by the sea side.

I would be interested to hear your views. Is this trend changing? Are there more options available now that the demand for local holidays is increasing? Is Eco tourism a luxury?

Here are a couple of places to start the research for Eco holidays  and Eco breaks in the UK, should you wish to start planning for next year.

Airport lounges: are they missing a trick?



Photo from: My Opera

Ever been bored in airport lounges?

I have just travelled back from Turkey via Zurich airport. Unfortunately, we had to wait 3 hours for our connection back to the UK.

When I go to a new airport, I am always quite excited. I am hoping to find something a little bit different: a great shopping experience, a good choice of places to eat, anything to help pass the time. However, as soon as I get through passport control, I find myself wondering around another "soulless" airport lounge with the same designer shops (who can afford these products?), the same boring coffee shops (you can only have so many coffees) and if you are lucky you might find a couple of places to eat (with uninspiring and overpriced menus). In large airports, you might find an area where you can access the Internet.

The waiting area for me is the worst of all with the most uncomfortable seats (if you can find one), bad lighting and no entertainment whatsoever. How depressing!!

Isn't there an opportunity here to create fun and interesting areas to make the journey a bit more enjoyable?

Isn't it a great place to educate travellers about responsible travel?

What would you like to see in airport lounges, that would change your travel experience?

Duty Free - the last place for ecotourism

Your last chance to shop before heading home


Photo: Resonants/IStockphoto

The last time I travelled from France, I flew back from Marseille. I wanted to buy a few local goodies for my family and my work colleagues.

The south of France is famous for all sort of specialities: its nougat from Montelimar and its calissons from Aix-en-Provence. You can also fınd an amasing brand of chocolate called Valrhona.



Easyjet terminal in Marseille is tiny. The Duty Free section is even smaller. And guess what was on offer: great brands of chocolate readily available in the UK. I will not name any as I am sure you have guessed which one they are.

Unfortunately, there was only one type of nougat and nothing else from the region. How disappointing!!!

I would love to know how products get selected for Duty Free shops.

Is this not the perfect place to promote local produce?