Holidays in 2050 will be slower, more expensive, and often combined with work, according to travel experts. The era of cheap flights to overseas destinations is likely to end, replaced by higher taxes on frequent flying and expanded rail and coach networks.
The rising cost of air travel will push more people to holiday in the UK or extend stays by remote working. Climate change will also shift preferences away from southern Europe and the Middle East towards cooler northern destinations.
The Government's JetZero plan, aimed at tackling aviation emissions, has been criticised as insufficient. Alethea Warrington of climate charity Possible argues it relies on unproven technologies and fails to reduce passenger numbers. She advocates for a frequent flier tax to curb demand, noting that jet fuel is currently untaxed.
Fran Collins of Red Funnel predicts a rise in staycations, as seen during the pandemic. Sustainable travel company Byway's Cat Jones expects slower, multi-modal journeys to become popular, aided by flexible working arrangements.
