With spiralling oil prices and the effects of fuel-driven cars on the environment, it was only a matter of time before someone suggested banning cars altogether. And this is the latest proposal put forward by European ministers – more or less.

The European Commission have outlined its vision of a ‘Single European Transport Area’ which would see ‘conventionally-fuelled’ cars banned from the centre of cities by 2050. The proposal comes as the Commission pushes EU countries to reduce their carbon emissions and reduce their dependence on oil for transport, particularly relevant given the current unrest in Libya and the Gulf.

The European Commission has said that slowing phasing out cars would lead to a 60% drop in emissions, a key target for the body. The Transport Minister for the Commission, Siim Kallas, said that the change could be made effortlessly and the loss of private transport should not be viewed as an inconvenience.

However, the British government has vetoed the move, with Normal Baker, UK Transport Minister, rather pointedly replying, “We will not be banning cars from city centres any more than we will be having rectangular bananas.”

Mr Baker did acknowledge that action needed to be taken to cut emissions but insisted Britain would continue to implement its own agenda saying, “It is right that the EU sets high-level targets for carbon reduction, however it is not right for them to get involved in how this is delivered in individual cities. We are committed to decarbonising road transport by, for example, investing more than £400 million over the next four years to support electric vehicles and promoting alternatives to car travel, like walking and cycling.”

Mr Kallas also confirmed a number of other measures the European Commission would be hoping to achieve, which included reducing the number of deaths attributable to road traffic accidents by 2020 by 50%, with the aim of eradicating them completely by 2050. Other modes of transport did not escape the Commission’s notice, with Mr Kallas summarising a new concept for European air travel, with all major airports linked on a rail network by 2050 and aircraft slowly converting to low-carbon fuel, achieving the magic 40% mark by 2050. The Commission also envisages a central, integrated system for air traffic control, a move recently mooted as Spanish airline staff threatened to walk out, jeopardising holidays of those all over the continent.

Green campaigners welcomed the focus on environmentally-friendly travel but claimed the plans would be ineffective, with Friends of the Earth transport director dismissing the scheme as ‘headline-grabbing’ and ‘lacking ambition.’

The latest in technology and environmentally friendly holidays are not two bed-fellows often seen together, but the market has seen the release of an i-phone application which offers just that. Focussed on Ireland, the application provides access to the best environmentally friendly facilities, including expeditions, activities, as well as accommodation.

The Ireland Green Travel i-Phone application, written by an established travel writer, features more than 120 places to stay in both Northern and Southern Ireland, with the only stipulation that the dwelling must be eco-friendly.

For holidaymakers and visitors hoping to reduce their carbon footprint, the application contained details on how to travel to Ireland without resorting to flying. The so-called ‘Slow Guide’ provides information on reaching your destination by train, including details of bus routes both sides of the border, as well as advice on how to organise bringing along a bike.

With green travel an increasingly popular choice for holidays, the creator of the application, Catherine Mack, says that she found that when researching eco-friendly travel, it was almost impossible to locate a single source that held all the necessary details. Ms Mack explained, “It is very hard to find out all your options in one location at the moment and the app has enabled me to do this. As this is how I usually travel, I know all the options pretty well by now, too.”

The application will allow users to search for a variety of types of accommodation including lake houses, manor houses geared towards green breaks, hostels as well as yoga retreats. Ms Mack described some of the opportunities that the application included: “You can stay in a yurt on the cliffs of Cape Clear, go on a yoga retreat in Leitrim, walk with a donkey from your cottage every morning to a riding centre in County Galway or eat freshly picked periwinkles in a luxury resort on Inis Meáin,” she explains. “You can also ride a horse on the beach in Rathmullan, Donegal, walk the Wicklow Way, bathe in seaweed in Connemara and discover what’s beyond the Giant’s Causeway.”

As well as being invaluable for the traveller, with its links in to Google maps, online train timetables and cycling networks, the invention of an electronic device is in itself very eco-friendly. The application will cut down on the requirement for paper-based documents, such as maps and train timetables, which have to be reprinted each time there is an amendment, in themselves not a terribly green way to collect information.

It is hoped that if the application is successful it could be replicated with other countries and regions going digital and as well as the app for the iPhone 4 there could be more Smartphone apps in the pipeline too.

The popularity of green travel options amongst tourists the world over is not the only incentive for the owners of holiday parks, campsites, hotels and hostels to ‘go green’. Whilst there is undoubtedly a great deal of money to be made from the sales potential of the green travel market, there are also considerable savings to be made in the process of making your holiday destination environmentally friendly.

While the majority of hoteliers and holiday managers face the looming spectre of increasing electricity prices, rising water bills and expensive waste disposal services, the owners of environmentally friendly holiday accommodation save money in all of these areas and more besides.

A great example of a green hotel in the UK is the Swinton Park hotel in Masham, Ripon. This enormous, 30-bed, luxury castle might look from the outside like it would be nigh on impossible to turn into an eco-friendly hotel but, through a series of investments and alterations, that is what its owners have achieved.

Five years ago, the management at the Swinton Park installed a wood chip boiler to provide the entire hotel with heating and hot water. The addition of a boiler system that uses renewable energy sources has made the hotel carbon neutral from a heating perspective – a remarkable achievement for such a large hotel.

Other green-focused changes to the Swinton Park hotel in recent years include the addition of a highly efficient laundry system, which uses 30 per cent less energy and water than a conventional washer. The hotel also provides recycled pencils, re-usable water bottles and energy efficient lighting in the bedrooms.

Though green technology is a relatively new development in the British hotel industry, green hotels are already well established in the US, with a large number of hotel managers affiliated with the Green Hotels Association (GHA).

The GHA states its purpose as being “to bring together hotels interested in environmental issues” and promotes the use of green technology such as; energy saving lightbulbs, low-flow showers, waterless urinals and infrared motion sensors for heating, lighting and air conditioning. Since the GHA was established in 1993, over 100 hotels from Alabama to Arizona have joined the association and in recent years the GHA has opened its doors to hotels in Canada, South America and Europe.
A statement on the GHA (www.greenhotels.com) website sums up the benefits to hoteliers of going green.

It reads: “Being green goes directly on your bottom line. Being green goes directly to a higher long-term value of your property. Being green goes directly to your front doors, which open wide to bring guests back again and again.

“Being green goes directly to keeping staff long-term, because management clearly cares for their health and well-being.”

With the airlines hit by delays and leaving a huge carbon footprint, traditional cars subject to astronomical fuel prices and boats not able to access all parts of the countryside, what option does that leave for a green and affordable means of transport? Why, a wind-powered eco car of course!

Two German men earlier this year travelled across an entire continent, a trip of over 3,000 miles, using nothing but a wind-powered car, with an electric battery as a back-up option. The route, which had never been managed before by this kind of vehicle, started in the south west corner of Australia and covered the entire continent, with what has been described as ‘virtually no impact on the climate.’

The car, which was purpose-built for the venture, is a 200kg convertible which started out in life as an electric car before having a wind turbine added, as well as a small sail similar to those used by kite surfers. Dubbed the Wind Explorer, the vehicle’s primary mode of movement is via its sail, which harnesses the power of the wind to propel the car. In the absence of any breeze, the car’s electric battery can kick in, which, after being fully charged, provides a travelling distance of around 250 miles.

For the overly cautious or cynical, the car is also equipped with a 20 foot mast made of bamboo which then attaches to a wind turbine measuring 9 feet, which allows the battery to be recharged. Taking around half an hour to erect, the contraption can sufficiently charge a battery overnight. Of course, should the car be near an electricity supply and the elements are not playing ball, the car can simply be plugged straight into the mains, just like any other electric car.

The continent conquerors, Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer, admitted that they had to resort to using electric power at some points during their journey. However, after charging the car up at the outset, the adventurers estimate that around £10 in electricity was used.

Despite the astounding achievement, the car is not a practical model for everyday use with the towering mast, cumbersome sail and pedestrian speeds. Looking like it would fit in better at a Wacky Racers gathering than as a cross-continental pioneering mode of transport, the Wind Explorer serves to show the world that with a bit of invention and perseverance, alternatives can be found to traditional modes of travel. Just don’t expect to see one hurtling past you on the M25 anytime soon.

With the warmer weather starting to appear, many Brits are thinking about dusting down their bicycles and reacquainting themselves with the joys of cycling. With the ongoing problems in many popular tourist destinations, the so-called staycation is expected to prove popular once again this year, with many set to enjoy the best the UK has to offer from over a set of handlebars.

However, the British weather is fickle at the best of times, with a sunny morning often turning into a grey and drizzly afternoon with the prospect of a wet ride home enough to deter all but the most ardent of cyclists. Therefore, some of the latest innovations to hit the bike market will come as a welcome addition for those who want to see the country on two wheels without the risk of getting soaking wet.

The latest accessory to be launched is a roof for cyclists, created by Italian designer Moshen Saleh. The inflatable canopy deflates compactly and, when not needed, is stored in a compartment mounted on the handlebars. Once those inevitable drops start to fall, the shield is released by the cyclist and inflates over the length of the bike, providing shelter from the elements. Made from clear plastic, for obvious reasons, the framework holds its structure via a network of inflatable ribs.

There are many other inventions on the market designed to protect the cyclist, such as the Nubrella, an umbrella designed to be worn over the head, protecting from rain, wind and cold conditions. However, a spokesman for the Environmental Transport Association, warned that care needed to be exercised when selecting protective shelters, “The trouble with fairings on bicycles is that they add weight and can behave like an unhelpful sail in windy conditions.”

But bicycle covers are not the only accessory rising in popularity among social cyclists, with a rise being seen in mounted cameras. With cyclists invariably coming off the worst in any collisions, many motorists are able to get away with the damage – and injuries – they may have caused, with no fear of punishment. Cyclists are therefore increasingly turning to video footage to identify the culprits, with cameras being attached to handlebars and, most recently, helmets. A market is emerging for creative and lightweight attachments, with many offering the cyclist the option to switch between head and handlebar mountings.

Motorists can therefore expect to see cyclists taking to the roads equipped with a whole armoury of modern contraptions, a far cry from days of yore, when a wobbly two-wheeler meant the probability of returning in one piece was only 50-50!

Hark back to the beginning of the year and travel experts were predicting the death of the ‘staycation’ in 2011.

They called 2010 the “annus horribilis” of travel, with the Icelandic volcano causing havoc for air passengers and the travel industry alike. The British Airways cabin crew dispute also contributed to what was a pretty disastrous year for air travel, but a good one for green travel overall. Less flights meant fewer carbon emissions and more domestic holidays meant a better result for local businesses and communities in the UK.

But 2011 was supposed to be the year when tourists re-packed a suitcase and headed to sunnier skies, fed-up of gloomy news broadcasts and yet more bad weather at home. But while it is only the first day of March, the New Year travel trend predictions seem wildly out of date.

It seems cruelly ironic that just two months ago, the Middle East was being tipped as the must-go destination of 2011. This was supposed to be the year that tourists started getting more adventurous, with Libya one of the countries singled-out as one of the best places to go this year.

Add to that the fact that Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia were being recommended on the basis of offering better value for money than the Euro Zone and we’re betting a few experts are frantically polishing their crystal ball. Although Tunisia and Egypt are showing signs of recovery, many tourists will not want to take the risk of further outbreaks of violence such as those in Tunis this week.

The earthquake in Christchurch could also have an impact on New Zealand’s tourist trade, especially with the Rugby World Cup happening later this year. Given this was the second earthquake to hit the country in a matter of months, not everyone will feel comfortable planning a break over there.

All this disruption has happened in just two short months; and Eyjafjallajökull didn’t even erupt until April last year. Few people could have predicted what has happened in 2011 so far and least of all journalists, concerned business class travel and luxury hotels.

While many tourists might not have planned a holiday to destinations directly affected by disruption this year, every individual incident adds to a general feeling that it is easier and safer to spend your holidays in the UK. So watch out for a spate of newspapers heralding the return of the staycation over the next few weeks – and remember, you read it here first.

The number of hotels applying to join the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), has risen by 50 per cent over the last two years, organisers of the certification scheme announced this week. The group says business travel is one of the key reasons for growth, as corporate clients start to put greater emphasis on sustainability and responsible business practices.

GTBS Managing Director, Andreas Nicholas, says that as businesses make more of an effort to go green themselves, they are becoming more demanding when booking hotels and meeting room facilities:

“The growth in membership of corporate-focused properties is in particular a reflection of the pressure being leveraged by the business travel community. Corporate travel policies typically now insist on a ‘sustainable’ dimension and hotels that cannot demonstrate strong environmental credentials are finding themselves unbookable.”

Almost 700 hotels in the UK are now covered by the scheme, with branded hotels constituting around two thirds of the figure. Examples of popular hotel chains included in the GTBS scheme include Hilton, Jurys Inn, Radisson Edwardian and Holiday Inn. Scheme bosses say the majority of new applicants seem to have been concentrated in London, the South East and South West.

But although nearly 700 hotels have qualified for certification by the GTBS, only 50 have demonstrated sufficiently green practices to merit the coveted Gold certification standard – 14 of which are Jurys Inn hotels.

When a hotel or other tourism business applies to join the scheme, it is graded by a qualified environmental assessor, who inspects the facilities and decides whether the organisation qualifies for a Gold, Silver or Bronze award. To be awarded a Gold certificate, an organisation must demonstrate the highest possible commitment to sustainable practices such as energy conservation, recycling and water management.

Examples of green initiatives Jurys have employed to help win them 14 Gold awards, include installing energy saving light bulbs, monitoring energy usage at each hotel and investing in staff training schemes. Jurys say that both customers and staff are united in their commitment to going green:

“Our employees are telling us they want to be involved with implementing this, while at the same time guests are saying that environmental issues are becoming increasingly relevant when considering a hotel booking,” Chief Executive, John Brennan, told Hotel and Catering Magazine.

With business travel expected to grow as the economy starts to recover in 2011, hotels which invest in improving their environmental record could find they not only save money by going green, but boost benefit from higher bookings for years to come.