By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
It would very much appear from the numbers of visitors to and users of local parks that this year – 2011 – staycation may have been bigger than in the previous years.
Definitely, when one is seeing the way that parks and open spaces are being made use of, fewer families seem to be taking a vacation abroad or even in this country.
Instead they seem to have stayed at home and rather made use, for themselves and their kids, of “local” facilities.
While this may be due to the fact that money has become rather tight in the last couple of years, as with the credit crunch and such, and even more so in the last year with many jobs, especially in the public sector, under threat or, in fact, having been cut, it is also extremely good for the Planet.
Travelling across the world for the multitudes via cheap, far too cheap, airfares, is not good for the Planet and also not good for the (local) economy, and that even, often, of the country people travel to for their summer vacations.
The environment in the destination countries suffers especially and this can be seen by the developments in places such as Costa del Sol, which is being turned into “Little Britain In The Sun.”
The majority of people who travel to those former package holiday destinations in order to cook in the sun have never ever, as yet, discovered the interesting things in their own locations and countries.
However, a change, at least at present, is occurring and more people seem to be staying in the country and even at home for their vacations. This is good for the Planet and the (local) economy.
© 2011
