The way we travel: summertimes travel tribes

The Independent, 10 Jun 2006

In the 1950s, there was the wealthy and fashionable jet set - and the rest of us. No more. Whether you're heading for a far-flung island or going local, John Walsh has got your ticket

The I Couldn't Possibly Go By Jet Set
What do you do if you really are concerned about the environment, and you believe that airplanes should be taxed for polluting the skies and car manufacturers penalised for fuel- inefficiency. Where the hell do you go on holiday? Your local park?

Perhaps we should ask David Cameron, whose recent commitment to ecological matters has been so well received. At a meeting last Tuesday, he announced that taxing airplanes wasn't a necessity, but that "modest steps" should be made towards eco-friendly vacations. These seem to involve not actually leaving the country, but holidaying in Cornwall.

Padstow is a popular haven for ozone-sniffers, while its neighbouring village, Rock, has long been a haven of drunken young aristocrats on the rampage. Cameron himself is keen on Newquay, home of an energetic surfing community (and also a shocking recent epidemic of HIV).

Other ecologically sound destinations (mostly eschewing hotels) are tented safaris in Botswana and hill-tribe lodges in northern Thailand. As every member of the Green Set will tell you, the key travel agent is responsibletravel.com .

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