‘Flight shame’ prompts holidaymakers to change travel plans
Holidaymakers are starting to reduce the number of flights they take due to environmental concerns raised by high-profile campaigners such as the Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg.
One in five of the 6,000 people taking part in a survey by Swiss bank UBS said ‘flight shame’ had prompted them to change their travel plans.
In the UK, 16% of respondents said they were cutting back on flying due to its impact on the environment, while in the US the figure was as high as 24%.
UBS said if these trends were borne out, the expected growth in air travel could be halved.
Global air travel has grown 4% to 5% a year, leading to a doubling of passenger numbers every 15 years.
Airbus and Boeing believe this rate of growth will continue until 2035, but UBS said its survey, carried out in May, suggests that climate change campaigns could trigger a change in flying habits in wealthier parts of the world, including the UK.
The Swiss bank now expects the number of flights in the European Union will increase by just 1.5% a year, half the rate expected by Airbus. The bank forecasted that growth in US flights would fall from the 2.1% expected to 1.3%.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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