Sustainable travel: How luxury staycations can cut your carbon footprint
4 March 2024
If you’re planning at least one holiday on home turf this year, you couldn’t be more on trend.
Luxury staycations in the UK have never been so popular —they’re not only the best option for more sustainable tourism but also offer hassle-free travel and the chance to slow down and connect with new places and people on a deeper level.
Sustainable tourism was a big trend last year, and is set to gain further momentum with ever-growing numbers of travellers seeking more sustainable travel destinations and smart tactics for carbon off-setting in 2024. Far from curtailing your wanderlust, this new movement is all about adopting more mindful choices for trips that still fuel your passion for great travel experiences while being kinder to the environment.
And thanks to their commitment to implementing more sustainable practices from reducing energy consumption to sourcing local produce for fine dining, as well as offering first-class hospitality, the UK’s leading luxury hotels have further established the UK as a highly desirable holiday destination.
According to PoB Hotels’ latest research, an impressive 59% of respondents said they prioritise hotels that embrace sustainable and responsible travel practices. Notably, 42% are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly options, with an additional 2% showing a strong willingness to invest significantly more in such choices. It’s inspiring.
Sustainable travel experiences and initiatives at PoB Hotels
An impressive number of PoB Hotels around the UK are leading the way in terms of green credentials and innovations. Here are just a few examples of initiatives that not only enhance your experience but also make a positive impact on the local environment and community.
Feast on greener cuisine
PoB Hotels’ commitment and reputation for sourcing the finest local produce and supporting local organic farms and artisan producers for their award-winning restaurants is one of the most compelling reasons our hotels are so popular.
The Torridon, one of the top luxury boutique hotels in Scotland, is a true trailblazer and wows all who come to stay and dine with the wonders of its own onsite Kitchen, Garden & Farm. Here, there’s no question mark about provenance. The lovingly tended kitchen garden produces an abundant crop of herbs, fruits and vegetables that are used to craft delicious seasonal dishes. And Highland cattle, chickens, and Tamworth pigs are raised on the hotel’s farm. It’s as local as it gets.
In Sussex, the prestigious Gravetye Manor hotel boasts stunning historic gardens, including a kitchen garden that grows many of the fresh ingredients used to flavour the divine dishes in its Michelin-starred restaurant. And Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa near the charming Cotswolds town of Malmesbury, continues to raise the bar ever higher. Thanks to the creative flair of Head Chef Ricki Weston and his team, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant proudly holds a prestigious Green Michelin star for sustainable gastronomy, alongside one Michelin Star.
Relish the wild side
Protecting and nurturing the local environment is another key activity, for which Calcot & Spa is a shining example. This luxury Cotswolds hotel is reaping the rewards of its 25 year-long commitment to rewilding the 220-acre green spaces on its doorstep with wildflower planting and organic farming practices. In 2012, the hotel also planted 21,930 native trees and the creation of this new woodland area has resulted in an increasing number of rare and endangered farmland birds, as well as an abundance of butterflies, moths and wildflowers. And in January of this year, thanks to its ongoing partnership with the National Trust, a group of ‘expert lawnmowers’ arrived on site — the hotel’s new herd of cows.
Connect with the locals
PoB Hotels also partner with local experts and operators to provide authentic experiences and tours that support the local community and economy.
Cromlix hotel, owned by tennis legend Andy Murray and his wife Kim, isn’t just one of the best hotels in the world for tennis fans, it’s also winning praise for its sustainable travel experiences. The Scottish hotel, situated near Dunblane in the Stirlingshire countryside, has partnered with expert local naturalists including Coeur Sauvage to offer foraging experiences. On guided walks through its flourishing grounds, you can discover a wide variety of edible foods — and learn about the fruits of the changing seasons.
In Cornwall, The Nare Hotel now offers sea fishing trips with local skipper James Brown, a former commercial fisherman with more than 20 years' experience, onboard the Madeline Rose, his traditional fishing boat.
And in the north east, Rockcliffe Hall Hotel has teamed up with leading adventure and watersports operators in the Darlington area to arrange action-packed experiences, including white water rafting at the Tees Barrage and surfing lessons in Saltburn.
Explore on two wheels
Many PoB Hotels have also invested in fleets of quality ebikes for guests to explore their grounds and surrounding areas with ease and kindness to the local environment. Whether you want to take a pedal- powered sightseeing tour of the historic landmarks of London or Bath, whizz along coastal paths in Devon, Cornwall and Jersey, or traverse the hills and sweeping valleys of the UK’s prime rural retreats, ebikes are a gamechanger on so many levels.
Take it more slowly
And in response to the slow travel trend, PoB Hotels has also introduced PoB Breaks — a stunning series of road trip itineraries that enable you to connect with local people, culture and food at your own pace while staying in multiple luxury hotels in the most beautiful parts of the British Isles. This innovative travel service offers you the choice of pre-curated itinerary inspirations or the chance to create a bespoke experience of the benefits of slow travel, perfectly tailored to your specific needs and passions.
How to be a responsible traveller
At PoB Hotels, we want to encourage our guests, as well as our hotel members, to embrace sustainable travel practices as far as possible.
If you’re looking to make more environmentally conscious choices, increasingly swapping overseas trips in favour of more staycations is a major step in the right direction. And with so many wonderful destinations to explore, holidaying at home has risen up the style stakes. But it doesn’t stop there.
Our top tips for implementing planet-friendly practices into your day to day life, and travel choices include travelling by train rather than by car, and choosing hotels that support and connect with their local community and environment.
Switching to more sustainable travel demands a big shift in perspective but focusing on slow, conscious and purposeful travel is a great place to start.
Responsible travel comes down to taking mindful steps to ensure you’re making the greenest possible choices while exploring the beauty of the UK. We’re here to help you every step of the way.
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