Most of our guests travel to their stays by car and we’ve calculated, even without solid booking data, that all those journeys represent the single largest source of carbon emissions our company produces. We’re not going to tell guests to stop travelling of course, but we can take our responsibility as a green travel company seriously and encourage guests to find better ways to travel where possible. This is something you can really help with. Owners like yourselves can create options and give information that drive guests (sorry) towards greener travel. Here are some of our suggestions.
Public Transport – Trains & Busses
We appreciate that your place may well be remote, but it’s worth doing what you can to enable guests to avoid driving if they choose to.
- Research your local public transport links, specifically train routes from nearby cities, but also local buses. Include as much detail as you can in your contact with guests about how far away stops are and the regularity of services.
- Find any local taxi firms which can collect and drop guests off
- Some owners offer collection and drop off to/from their nearest station. This is a great option for guests, but be careful not to over-commit yourself.
Electric cars
Installing a charging point for electric vehicles on your property might feel like a niche addition at the moment, but the tide of vehicle use is turning. Earlier this year, Europe and the UK set goals to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and 2035 respectively, so little by little, we’re going electric. Read more on this subject on this recent article and watch a recent webinar from EV charging company EVC here.
Walking & Cycling – for the adventurous
We have some pretty hardy guests and, with the right prompting, you might be able to get them to arrive under their own steam.
- Check if you’re on a national cycling or walking route. The Ordinance Survey National Cycling Network Map is a good place to start
- Make sure there’s somewhere guests can store/lock bikes when they arrive
- Think about wet/sweaty gear storage or washing facilities
- Suggest day trip routes for guests to explore during their stay
- Make a radical decision! Puckshipton Treehouse on Canopy & Stars asks guests only to arrive on bike or foot – it was a brave choice from owner James and we’re proud to see that guests have embraced the adventure, but it won’t suit everyone.
During their stay
Guests will wonder what they can do during their stay if they’ve not driven, so help them rest at ease with as much information and support as you can.
- Provide them with details about local shops and pubs they can access without a car
- Tell them about possible deliveries of local produce or even offer to arrange a hamper for them on arrival
- Provide simple low-impact meals to avoid all those wasteful plastic packets from M&S
- Provide bikes for hire, maybe electric ones in hilly areas!
- Give full details and distances for any walkable/rideable activities and sights. Think about the simple things. A walk up a nearby hill might give as good views as the famous national park a drive away.
What we’re doing
- Lining up new collections on our site that guests can use to find places: With EV charging points & Accessible by public transport
- Guest marketing and stories promoting slow travel
- Encouraging guests to stay longer – with the movement of working remotely, we’ll be encouraging guests to work on the road as well
- Exploring how we could offer rewards or discounts for people who travel responsibly
- Exploring partnerships with train and EV companies
A final note
Please don’t forget to tell us your stories and let us know what works for you and what doesn’t. We love to learn from the experts and the more we hear, the more we can share with our community and keep driving down our overall emissions as a company.
Tessa Holmes
Sawday's Expert