Sawday’s and Canopy & Stars launch campaign to travel better this summer.

On the busiest travel weekend of the year, in excess of 21 million are estimated to hit the roads and skies this weekend as the summer holidays get underway, Sawday’s and Canopy & Stars have worked with artist Natacha de Mahieu to create layered images which show how crowded some of our most popular staycation destinations could become due to overtourism.

The three images, created over 48 hours at Durdle Door (Dorset), St Ives (Cornwall) and the Lake District (Cumbria) take a stark look at the growing problem of overtourism, and the affect it has on the wellbeing of local communities and the environment.

To give it some context, Travel & Tourism GDP is set to grow on average by 5.8% annually between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy. Currently an estimated 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to tourism, and that’s predicted to double by 2050.

Travellers passing through King’s Cross Station on Friday 21st July will see the images on billboards, in a move that the company will hope people reconsider how they travel as they head off on summer holidays.

The campaign encourages Brits to ‘travel better’ this summer; to take steps to make travel beneficial to visitors, the community they visit and the environment.

Managing Director of Sawday’s and Canopy & Stars, Mike Bevens, says: “It might seem surprising for a travel company to raise the problem of overtourism on the busiest travel weekend of the year, but we believe it’s time for the travel industry to take a lead on encouraging responsible travel. We know that we are a small company, and our actions alone won’t solve overtourism, but we hope we can spark a conversation and a new way of thinking this summer, both amongst travellers and the wider industry.”

Sawday’s and Canopy & Stars have already taken the decision to cap the number of properties they represent in areas at risk of overtourism, including St Ives and The Lake District.

Find out more about our campaign to #travelbetter this summer, and read the full story about how Natacha de Mahieu created the imagery, at www.canopyandstars.co.uk/travel-better.

-ends-

•An estimated 2.4 million will travel overseas, with a further 19 million hitting the roads over the weekend of 21 – 23 July based on previous figures from ABTA and RAC

•WTTC - Travel & Tourism accounts for over 10% of global GDP

•Travel & Tourism GDP is set to grow on average by 5.8% annually between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy (2.7% per year) - EIR2022-Global Trends.pdf

•Overtourism definition: ‘the excessive growth of visitors leading to overcrowding in areas where residents suffer the consequences of temporary and seasonal tourism peaks, which have caused permanent changes to their lifestyles, denied access to amenities and damaged their general well-being’ (Milano, Cheer and Novelli, 2019, p. 1).

•WTTC - An estimated 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to tourism, and that’s predicted to double by 2050.

For more information or high res images please contact:

Emily Enright or Alice Cottingham

Sawday’s / Canopy & Stars

Tel: + 44 117 204 7805

E-mail: press@sawdays.co.uk

About us:

Sawday’s have spent over 25 years finding, visiting and choosing brilliant places to stay across the UK and Europe. We like to think of ourselves as a shortcut to the most special places and authentic experiences in travel. Our places are run by independent owners and we inspect everyone so that we can give our guests honest descriptions to help them find something they’ll love. We believe in a better way to travel, experience the world and do business.

Our sister company, Canopy & Stars, is a collection of unique, creative places to stay in the outdoors that give you a genuine experience of a life more wild. They're also personally inspected by our team and we keep the collection small and special, accepting only 20% of those that apply.

Joining the Sawday’s family is Paws & Stay, the UK’s only dog-first travel website, created by animal lovers to take the frustration out of finding genuinely dog-friendly places to stay. It’s run on the same solid principles, but with a focus on dogs in everything from the places chosen to the walks and pubs recommended.

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