Learn More about Sustainable Travel at the 2024 Holiday World Show

Sustainable Travel Options exhibiting at Holiday World Show Dublin
 

Planning a holiday can be a bit tricky these days – we love to travel but are increasingly aware of our carbon footprint.  Whether we choose to holiday at home or abroad, travel is a wonderful way to learn more about the history and geography of the towns, cities and countries we visit.  It fosters mutual understanding and improves the lives of those communities especially in emerging holiday destinations.  We recognise that alongside all those benefits, travel also has an impact on the planet, so with a little forethought we can plan our 2024 holiday learning more about the sustainability of each dream location. 

Travel Department have great offers exclusively for bookings made at the Holiday World Show, look out for them at stand V2.  This year they have partnered with CloudForests so when you book your 2024 holiday you will have the opportunity to make a contribution towards carbon offsetting.  100% of your contributions will go directly to support projects delivering everything from clean water in Cambodia and renewable energy in Brazil to solar energy in India.  This year, for every contribution you make to these carbon offsetting projects, Travel Department will plant a tree in conjunction with CloudForests.

Spain remains the most popular destination for Irish holidaymakers with over two million of us travelling to Spain in 2023. The Spanish government has increased its Tourism budget by 20% this year, much of this spend is to support sustainability.  The main challenges for Spain, and any other popular sun destination, are to balance the tourist-heavy regions with the less-visited areas to minimise local environmental impact, so 2024 is a great year for investigating those hidden parts of Spain and escaping the crowds.  You might consider a rail holiday – did you know that Spain has the most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe, the second highest in the world, trailing only China.  You could go on a cycling holiday there are natural paths which extend for over 10,000 kilometres, 1,700 km of which are greenways.  If you are a star gazer, there are 42 Starlight tourist destinations and 14 Starlight Reserves, which are protected natural areas committed to persevering the night sky and access to starlight.  Spain enjoys around 3,000 hours of sunlight each year making it one of the sunniest countries in Europe which positions Spain as one of the territories with the most significant solar resources for electricity production.  When you are booking your hotel, look out for one of The Responsible Living which consumes 100% green energy. Check out Spain at Holiday World Show, stand L9M7.

Cruising is a great way to make a responsible and memorable holiday. Royal Caribbean, stand N1, has many initiatives from producing fresh water, reducing single-use plastics and conserving heat from engines which can help you discover how luxury and sustainability can live comfortably together.  Thanks to desalination and reverse osmosis systems, ships can produce about 90% of the freshwater used on board.  This water is used for everything from high-speed waterslides and pools to drinking water.  This process turns saltwater into freshwater by removing minerals and contaminants. All showers are heated using conserved heat from the engines.  While the AC unit in your room keeps you cool, the condensation from it is treated and repurposed to clean laundry.  Energy is conserved with features like LED and fluorescent lights, and Royal Caribbean’s Icon will be the first cruise ship to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) the cleanest-burning marine fuel and fuel cell technology. So while Royal Caribbean pay attention to all the details, small (energy-efficient appliances) and large (air lubrication system that allows ships to float on air) you just need to pay attention to your dream destination!  Alaska, the Caribbean and the Antarctic are just three of the far flung destinations you can dream of safe in the knowledge that you are actually doing your bit for the environment by choosing to travel in style, with a company who operates a zero waste policy.

Find out more about sustainable travel options at home and abroad by visiting the Holiday World Show in the RDS Simmonscourt, Ballsbridge from 26^th to 28^th January 2024.