With 75% of the environmental impact of the tourism industry caused by aviation , a staycation right here in the UK is a significantly more eco friendly choice than a budget flight to the Costas.
However, holidaying at home comes with its own sustainability challenges. While not as catastrophic as air travel, vacationing in the UK can nonetheless harm precious habitats, cause problems for rural communities and contribute to environmental damage.
With properties in all corners of England and Wales, YHA is committed to making it easier for people to enjoy the natural countryside around them while minimising their impact on the environment. Read on for ten great ways that a YHA stay helps to make your holiday more green.
1. Eco-friendly accommodation
In addition to practical changes to the running of hostels – including reducing staff travel and opting for less harmful cleaning supplies – YHA is also working to make our guest properties more eco-friendly than ever. Not all of these changes are glamorous headline grabbers, but they’re sensible, achievable and impactful, helping guests to enjoy the best of the British countryside without leaving a trace.
Our eco hostels include YHA National Forest, where bathrooms are especially designed to save on water waste, and YHA Eskdale, with its renewable heating and hot water system.
YHA glamping accommodation, such as YHA Beer’s premium bell tents, also keeps one eye firmly on green solutions, with small but effective touches including solar-powered lighting helping to minimise your carbon footprint.
2. Reduced car travel
Many YHA hostels are conveniently located for public transport with bus stops, train stations and even ferry ports nearby. YHA Penzance, for example, has all three to hand, making the notoriously difficult to get to Cornwall a straightforward journey for car-free travellers.
YHA properties aren’t only to be found out there in the countryside either, meaning you can enjoy affordable city breaks in the likes of London and Liverpool, without the expense and environmental impact of driving into the centre of town.
Hostels including YHA Black Sail and YHA Tanner’s Hatch Surrey Hills are accessed by foot only, making them ideal for motorless travel. Staying in these off-grid properties can really inspire you to enjoy true zero waste living, even if only for a few days.
3. Eating and drinking green
With the vast majority of hostels located in rural areas where artisan producers and organic growers tend to be more commonly found, staying with the YHA is an ideal opportunity to eschew those big name supermarkets with their flown-in figs and overpackaged pears.
You don’t even have to leave your hostel to make the most of ethically sourced food and drink. At the YHA our restaurants and cafes serve a wide variety of British produce, much of which is locally found. Vegan and vegetarian options are readily available at all catered properties and meat served bears the Red Tractor badge.
Additionally, YHA eateries are committed to non-food based green ventures, including the introduction of paperless menus and the sale of canned water to reduce use of plastic bottles.
4. Access to nature
Core to the YHA’s philosophy is providing everyone with access to countryside, regardless of age or background. Getting out into the UK’s forests, hills and mountains reminds us all how important it is to look after the world around us – something that can be difficult to remember on a daily basis when we’re surrounded by skyscrapers and choking on city pollution.
Spending time in nature isn’t just proven to be excellent for our mental and physical health, it’s also a great educational opportunity for young people. A YHA-based family holiday could take you and the kids to the walking trails of the Yorkshire Dales, the wildlife-filled moors of Somerset or the protected coast of Pembrokeshire to see first-hand why caring for our planet is so vital.
5. Supporting the caretakers of British heritage
YHA is privileged to own properties in some of the country’s most special spots, including places where it might be impossible to build new tourist accommodation, such as YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass, located at the very foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). It’s a huge responsibility when you think about it, and one that YHA takes seriously. Since 2011 over £40 million has been invested in YHA hostels, and no small part of that has been spent on the refurbishment of important historic properties.
Staying at a property like YHA Wasdale Hall, a 19th century manor from which you’ll enjoy the view voted Britain’s favourite, or YHA Street, a Swiss-style chalet built in 1931 and YHA’s oldest hostel, means that you’re a part of this story too.
6. Spending in rural communities
Travelling in Britain is an excellent way to support rural communities where significant challenges threaten the survival of the rural way of life. Figures show that around 2,500 village shops closed in the decade to 2015 and that pubs are disappearing at a rate of fifty a month , with small independent drinking holes, like those often found in small villages, most likely to go. If things continue as they are, these communities could simply disappear, replaced with identikit new build estates, polluting distribution centres and wasteful supermarkets.
While the issue is a larger one than our tourist pounds alone are able to solve, spending with local independent businesses when you travel, rather than relying on big supermarkets and chains, supports the local businesses, people and character that could otherwise be lost forever.
7. Promoting affordable UK travel
YHA has been at the heart of the affordable staycation since 1930. A charitable organisation, it helps to encourage people of all ages and from all areas of the UK (and beyond) to gain knowledge and experience through adventure and discovery. At a time when it’s often cheaper to travel to the other side of the world than to book a Cornwall B&B or a Lake District hotel, the YHA ensures that the British countryside remains accessible to all, no matter the budget.
From castles for fifty guests to cottages for smaller groups, YHA exclusive hire is a cost-effective choice, especially for a group holiday, giving UK travellers the opportunity to reduce their outgoings along with their carbon footprint.
8. Recognised as green
YHA’s green commitments are more than just a PR stunt. Committed to Net Zero by 2050, the charity is an award-winning choice for eco-friendly accommodation, having taken third place at the Global Youth Travel Awards. These awards recognise organisations that take steps to reduce their environmental impact, reduce energy consumption and put plans in place for ongoing improvements through a company green policy.
Caring for nature is an integral part of YHA’s ethos, with eco-friendly changes made not to generate bookings but to improve our environmental impact along with the comfort of our guests, who can rest assured that their stay is part of a genuine effort to improve the environment.
9. It’s easy being green
Holidays shouldn’t be an effort, but when it comes to making travel more eco-friendly it can start to feel like your plans are more work than they’re worth. Being environmentally aware is simple with a stay at a YHA hostel.
Not only do the likes of YHA Grinton Lodge or YHA Ravenstor put you in the ideal location to abandon the car and explore the countryside in a sustainable way, facilities at YHA properties make it easy to reduce waste. Many locations now include water bottle refill stations, cycle stores are often provided and recycling facilities are available too. All this means that being eco friendly can be second nature, letting you focus on enjoying your well-earned break.
10. Supporting community initiatives
Although every little helps, making a long-lasting, effective change requires something more. You’re just one person but your eco-friendly YHA stay supports community initiatives that can reach thousands more people.
Part of the Generation Green initiative, YHA has helped to deliver 115,000 opportunities for young people to connect with nature.
School trips, breaks for families from underserved areas and getaways for children affected by illness or with additional educational needs – all of these and more are supported by your stay. And more people able to access our facilities and the natural areas that surround them means more people who are given the chance to understand the importance of caring for our environment.
Taking an eco-friendly holiday with YHA
While unpredictable weather and unreliable public transport can make it easy to rule out UK staycations, there are few things that will feed the soul like exploring the cave networks of Gaping Gill, watching the sun set over Cheddar Gorge or paddling near Durdle Door. And with so many natural wonders on our doorstep, plus pocket-friendly accommodation accessible through YHA why wouldn’t you try your hand at traveling more sustainably?
Inspired to get out there and start making the world a better place while you holiday? Whether it’s a beach break on the South Coast, hiking through the Peak District or climbing the fells of the Pennines, there’s a YHA hostel waiting to host you.
 Discover more about YHA.
Photo credit: Kevin / Shintartanya / zinkevyeh / Adobe Stock
