Researchers from Lancaster University have investigated how green caravan holidays really are, by measuring the carbon footprint of an overnight stay for two in a touring caravan.
The results were somewhat surprising. Despite the heavy fuel consumption of towing a trailer and using an electric hook up, greenhouse gas experts from the University’s Small World Consulting division discovered the couples’ overnight stay at a caravan park produced just 4kg of CO2. A staggeringly small amount when compared to the half a tonne of carbon dioxide produced flying two people to Spain and back.
Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in the Lake District was used as the testing ground for the experiment. Park owner Henry Wild said: “Even when the carbon footprint of the journey by car to the park is taken into account, staying in a caravan on a park is just about the greenest type of holiday you can enjoy,”.
The exhaustive study measured hundreds carbon producing variables down to the energy needed to deliver goods and services, using a coffee machine, even producing the Skelwith Fold T-shirts supplied to staff.
“This is, I believe, the first time that our industry has been put under this type of environmental scrutiny – and the message appears to be that green tourism is definitely caravan-shaped,” said Henry.
Lancaster University’s findings will be published on the Skelwith Fold Caravan Park website soon.
