The Travel FactorsTravel is a necessity for most of us to ski – apart from those of us lucky enough to live in Scotland! However, the travel portion of our ski holiday has the most impact on the environment out of the whole trip. A study by a French government agency together with the organisation Mountain Riders found that 73% of an average ski resort’s carbon footprint is created by journeys its visitors have to make.
However, the good news is that there are more choices for our travel than ever before. In addition to the travel having the most impact on the environment, for many of us it is the worst part of the holiday; stressful, arduous and something merely to be endured to get to the slopes. Some of the other options for getting there enable the journey to be part of the holiday and can actually allow more time on the piste or else an exciting city stopover. There are, of course, two major parts to the journey. Getting to the country, which is the international section, which involves flights, ferries, coaches, cars or trains. To understand the options and the different impacts between them all, visit – The Travel Factors - Getting to the country The second part of the journey is the onward travel to the resort – again there are many options with varying impacts both on the environment and for you and the ease of your journey. It’s worth knowing all the choices and implications, so visit - The Travel Factors – Transferring to the resort It is in all our interests to understand the impacts of travel and choices that can be made. We all want to carry on with our winter holidays and tourism is vital to many mountain communities but we need to remember the wider impacts of our travel. It is not in anyone’s interest for the travel to contribute most to climate change, since changing weather patterns threaten our ski holidays and mountain communities the most. Ski resorts and tour operators can really make a difference and facilitate us, but it is we skiers who have the choice and influence, and by making better choices we can actually add to the enjoyment of our holiday. |  Getting to the countryMake it scenic and get
more time on the piste – find out more Transferring
|
