By Erin Smith

Holidays abroad lasted longer in the 1990’s compared to recent years, for example in 1996, holidays were often a two weeklong stay for families. However, in 2016, there has been a drop for holidays abroad only lasting 8-10 nights instead.

This is due to the ever-increasing prices of flights affected by inflation. The price of summer flights in July 1996, was 3.2% cheaper than today. Now, they are at an average cost of £100 up to £300 dearer, an increase of 2.8%.

Travelling locally can be much more time and cost efficient, automatically benefitting holiday goers from the start. The main question asked when booking a holiday is how much does it cost?

An average 10-day holiday to Spain today costs £1,100 which is more than double the price when staying at home.

Living in Scotland means lots of opportunities to stay at iconic places which are only a couple hours' drive away. Loch Lomond, St Andrews, Largs, Stirling, Edinburgh and even Glasgow are all great places to stay for holiday.

The British Islands also present a great opportunity to get away from home but not have to travel by plane which can be costly.

Traveling somewhere within or near the country you live in can be less stressful. There will be no culture shock as food places and shops will be familiar, and you don’t need to worry about a language barrier when visiting attractions or reading signs.

There is also less hassle since there is no need to learn anything new or change any currency. All you need is a car and destination on the satnav. Simples!

People tend to explore other countries without exploring their own first, often missing out on seeing some local beautiful places. By travelling locally, you can get to know a new place well and spontaneously visit multiple places at the same time.

The weather may not be as promising as travelling to somewhere with more sun however, Scotland has many hidden treasures that are looked past and not given the appreciation they truly deserve.

Another benefit to a local holiday is that a travelling abroad is a lot worse for the planet. A small aeroplane uses 222 gallons of fuel per hour which means an average flight to Spain takes up 1,110 gallons, and that is only for one way. Not very green!

In 2022, 21 million passengers travelled from Scottish airports which was a 206% increase from the year before. On average, 201,000 flights leave Scotland each year and produce tonnes of carbon emissions.

Recently, airports have been addressing the noise pollution, air pollution, sustainability issues and other environmental issues. ACI Europe launched their strategy in June 2019 and aim to achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2025.

A Net Zero balance is when carbon emissions are separated into small amounts allowing them to easily be absorbed by nature, leaving zero emissions in the atmosphere resulting in a healthier planet. So far, a total of 16 airports have achieved Net Zero with Indira Gandhi International Airport being the first to hold this title in 2024.

Airports across the world are trying to hit this achievement by 2025 and are doing various things to make this possible. One strategy used so far is to switch to zero-carbon energy and fuel sources. This procedure will slowly reduce the carbon emissions in the airport each year until it achieves the goal of Net Zero.

Another strategy used is to invest in low energy vehicles and fuel sources on the runway, which load luggage onto the aircrafts and transport passengers to the airport once the plane has landed.

These implements to achieve Net Zero Emissions will eventually help the planet. However, it will take many years to see a difference and so refraining from travelling abroad will be beneficial in the meantime.

Why local holidays are beneficial