As it becomes more and more necessary for the individual to play their part in looking after the environment, so to is the travel industry taking greater steps to play its part. Car hire firms along with hotel chains and airlines are now making going greener a major part of their company policies. Car rental outlets throughout the world are now offering customers the opportunity to do their bit by providing fleets of hybrid cars as a way of saving fuel along with reducing emissions that damage the environment. Enterprise, Budget, Avis and Hertz already hire out a large range of vehicles especially designed to reduce a driver’s impact on the planet. Although at present they may cost a little more to run it is expected that over time as these vehicles become standard prices will drop.

Major aircraft manufacturers are also realizing that by producing planes that are more efficient they are helping to reduce the impact on both the environment and the wallets of the airline companies. Boeing has already shown that its new 787 is more efficient than most other large aircraft by around twenty percent. This added to initiatives by companies such as British Airways, Southwest, Continental and Singapore Air to recycle more materials and use more efficient bio-fuels is already having a more positive impact on the environment.

Greener designs, recycling programs, water and energy saving initiatives along with the use of electricity saving light bulbs are now measures that have become standard across many major hotel chains. Customers who wish to do their part in reducing their impact on the planet’s environment now have few excuses not to do so.