More Travelers Are Choosing Green Travel Alternatives In Europe

A poll recently conducted by Opinium Research for UK’s High Speed 1, revealed that 81 percent of those polled would prefer to travel in Europe by train. Whether for work or on vacation, they would choose the green travel option, if only more routes were available to them.

Travelers would prefer green travel options

Ecotourism is becoming an important choice for many travelers these days, who wish to lower their carbon footprint while on vacation. Currently, there are many trains on Europe’s rails, but according to some travelers, there are not enough routes to choose from.

According to Global Railway Review, a poll was conducted by Opinium Research on behalf of High Speed 1. The poll clearly revealed that at least 81 percent of those polled would prefer to stick to green travel alternatives. However, they can only do so if Europe offered more available routes.

According to the data from the poll run by Opinium Research, those polled were United Kingdom nationals who would prefer to travel by train to Europe for work and pleasure.

Travelers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint

Dyan Crowther, CEO of High Speed 1 said how encouraging it was to see that people who travel for business are now thinking of their carbon footprint. In fact, they are looking for more environmentally friendly options whenever they can.

However, when it comes to leisure travel, the figures were even higher, with 86 percent of those polled planning on taking a trip to Europe would choose to travel by train. However, they need to be able to get direct services to their destination.

Global Railways Review states that UK travelers can currently access direct services to a number of European destinations. These include popular cities like Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. However, the poll reveals that there is a strong demand for other international rail routes in Europe.

“These results are further proof that people traveling abroad from the UK are increasingly looking for more environmentally friendly options. HS1 is the Green Gateway to Europe, and as we look to recover and grow post-COVID-19, we’ll be working tirelessly to deliver more routes on our line into Europe,” Crowther added.

More competition required

Meanwhile, 77 percent of participants say they would travel more often to Europe by train if there was more competition. With the majority of COVID-19 restrictions now dropped, this has increased the demand for international travel.

Now, EU countries are encouraging travelers to choose train travel over plane travel. This would reduce the carbon emissions caused by air travel and make green travel possible.

Working together for green travel

In April 2022, two high-speed train operators, Eurostar and Thalys, worked together on a train to connect five EU countries. The route will start in the United Kingdom and head to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
The EU commission quickly approved the decision of the two companies.

Now, according to Visa Crunch, the project, dubbed Project Greed Speed, aims to increase the number of passengers to 30 million by 2030. On top of this, the same project also aims to increase the use of renewable energy.

What with climate change and global warming, the result of the new poll is truly encouraging. Travel by rail is not only a green travel alternative but is also a relaxing and enjoyable way to go.