'A flight to Benidorm, Spain, produces 1.17 tonnes of carbon emissions, and a flight to New South Wales, Australia, produces 11.9 tonnes.'

Suzanne Elvidge looks at booking an ethical holiday on the web

Well, Christmas is now over, and barely has the last bauble been packed and the last pine needle picked out of the cat’s paws no (who am I kidding, I’ll still be doing that in June!) but the TV and papers are full of ideas for summer holidays.

Holidays internationally

Many people’s dream holiday is jetting off into the sunset in a big sleek plane unless of course you have a phobia of flying. However, the environmental impact of flying is huge.  According to an article in the Independent, the fuel burn for each passenger on an ultra-long haul flight is 100 gallons. A flight to Benidorm, Spain, produces 1.17 tonnes of carbon emissions, and a flight to New South Wales, Australia, produces 11.9 tonnes.

So can holidays be ethical? Leo Hickman of the Guardian investigated this, and found that foreign holidays are still allowable, with a bit of research and careful planning, but that these should avoid flights, hire cars and large, resource-intensive hotels just think of all those little plastic bottles of shampoo through to the daily deliveries of clean sheets and towels. Using self-catering accommodation supports local markets, shops and restaurants, and trains in Europe and across the world are much less polluting than planes and cars. 

A way to travel the world but still help out is to get involved with conservation and community projects, such as with Global Vision International or i-to-I, or the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

Finally, remember that not everywhere wants tourists — Tourism Concern is campaigning for fair and ethical tourism, and can recommend where to travel. 

Staying in the UK

Overall, travelling within the UK is much more environmentally sustainable, especially if you go by public transport such as trains or coaches, with some fares from a pound. 

Again, self-catering accommodation, is the most sustainable and you can always get your groceries delivered directly there if you plan ahead though using the local shops will support the local economy. 

Maybe the most sustainable form of accommodation is camping, though it has all moved on a bit since I struggled with heavy cotton canvas tents in the Girl Guides.

If you are trying to maintain your environmental credibility on holiday, use no fuel while you are there by cycling, walking, or horse riding. 

I am a daily commuter cyclist, out there in all weathers and arriving at working looking like I have been dragged through the proverbial hedge backwards. Cycling is becoming more popular.  If you are feeling brave and are happy to trek out there on your own, Sustrans is encouraging sustainable travel, including cycling and has links to various cycle routes. 

Long distance trails largely non-road routes include the Transpennine trail look out for me on this at some point this year — you won’t be able to miss me — an exhausted blonde wearing a huge orange jacket and riding a man’s mountain bike; the C2C route, the National Byway which focuses on heritage, and lots of other trails.

If you would prefer a guided and supported route, there are loads to choose from, including vegetarian ones, coast to coast ones and even art ones.

If cycling all seems a bit too much like hard work, what about walking? National Trails provides ‘over 2,500 miles of the nation's favourite rambles’. If you want a bit more support, including lifts to the trail and accommodation and in some cases, guides on the walk, many companies provide supported walks in beautiful places, including Dorset, the Marches that’s an area, not an enforced walk, Scotland and across the UK. 

And if even walking is too much effort, you can use someone else’s legs and I am not suggesting a rickshaw. Horse riding is about as close to nature as you can get, and all the fuel that goes into a horse comes out as rose fertiliser. Whether you are a beginner or more experienced there are holidays out there for you. Or if you want to do it in more comfort, try a horse-drawn caravan.

Working holidays are not all gap years and travelling abroad — there are plenty of working holidays in the UK.  These include conservation holidays with the National Trust or BTCV or volunteering at festivals, which is hard work but fun. Oxfam provides stewards for Glastonbury, Womad, Leeds and Reading festivals — you can raise money for Oxfam and perhaps even see a band or two. The Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival is sponsored by Christian Aid and is great fun for workers — I have volunteered there for years and still keep going back!

And finally, if all that travel is still too costly to the planet — you could always go on human power round the world.

• Introducing eco-tourism
• Ethical Travel index