TUI urges travellers to pack a lighter suitcase

Tour operator TUI is kick-starting a celebrity-endorsed campaign today which aims to save over 7,500 tonnes of carbon emissions a year by encouraging holidaymakers to pack lightly.

And if any travellers are undecided as to what to leave behind, the company has enlisted the services of TV stylist Brix Smith-Start to advise on an ideal holiday capsule suitcase.

The campaign is based on research commissioned by TUI subsidiary Thomson, which found that half of Brits don’t think about the impact they have on the planet when packing.

The research shows that a quarter of us spend between two and three days packing our bags for our holiday but, once there, only 16 per cent of us actually use and wear everything we’ve packed. In fact, a third of us are not using a quarter of what we take away.

The heavier the load a plane has to carry, the more fuel it burns. So if we could reduce the weight of our suitcases by 25 per cent, TUI estimates we could cut 7,537 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, the equivalent of 2,216 family cars.

“Everyone wants to look fabulous when they are on holiday," said Smith-Start. "Yet too many of us don’t think about what outfits we’ll actually want to wear and so we end up with clothes that won’t see the light of day once we are away. "

Her advice to travellers includes straightforward tips, such as checking weather forecasts, planning outfits rather than packing random clothes and buying a towel locally instead of packing one.

The campaign with Smith-Start is part of wider sustainable tourism initiative which TUI launched earlier this month. Two consumer websites for each of TUI's main UK brands – Thomson and First Choice – will be launched in early August to support the campaign.

“The business benefits are straightforward,” TUI sustainability manager Jane Ashton told Businessgreen.com. “The more we reduce energy usage, water usage and waste, the more money we save.

“Ensuring well-managed sustainable destinations aligns perfectly with the concept of the holidays we sell,” she added.

Ahston said the firm has a target to reduce aircraft fuel use 6 per cent by 2013 and lighter luggage will contribute to this. However, TUI will eschew using financial penalties to make passengers reduce luggage weight.

“We provide holidays for families with young children that need their luggage allowance and don’t want to scare them off,” said Ashton.

Although not a primary driver for choosing a holiday, environmental factors are a strong secondary driver, Ashton said.

“Our customers say they want to know about how they can lessen the environmental impact of their holidays, but they want it to be easy,” said Ashton. “Packing lighter is one of those easy things which they can do to slightly change their behaviour and still make a difference.”

US-born Smith-Start, 47, is currently known for her role in Channel 4’s TV show Gok’s Fashion Fix and her small but growing chain of Start boutiques. But she had a previous life as guitarist in The Fall during the 80s, and was married to Mark E Smith.