UK travellers 'more concerned with price than environment'

Despite the current concerns over the environment, holidaymakers are more interested in price than their environmental impact, it has been claimed.

People are more likely to be driven by price when booking a holiday, due to the fact that sustainable tourism is considered to be more expensive, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

Although people are concerned about the environment and would opt for a company that had a sustainable development policy over one that did not, cheaper flights would override environmental concerns in the long run, the organisation said.

Sean Tipton, spokesperson for ABTA, explained that encouraging environmentally-friendly tourism is better for the industry as it preserves the places that people want to visit.

"It is very counter-productive for us to develop a beautiful place and ruin it," he said.

"Sustainable tourism for the environment is sustainable tourism for us. It means helping the local economy as well as minimising damage to the environment."

A TNS Online Omnibus 2007 survey found that 65 per cent of people would not change their travel plans because of environmental factors; however VisitBritain research has suggested that it will be come a more important influence over people's travel in the future.