The pandemic applied a screeching handbrake to the runaway juggernaut of international travel and provided a unique opportunity for us all to reassess how we explore this amazing world of ours. Is travel a right or a responsibility? To what degree should travellers be balancing their desires with the needs of the destinations they frequent? Is there a sustainable balance that can be struck?

All are key questions — and ones that will be top of the travel agenda as the world begins to re-emerge from the shadow of Covid. Consumer, industry and media sentiment finally seem aligned on the urgent need to prioritise sustainability, and great strides can be made in the coming years with every segment playing its part: more environmentally friendly airlines and cruise ships fuelled by renewable energy sources; operators rebuilding their offering to ensure a truly positive impact on the destinations they’re selling; travellers balancing environmental as well as financial cost; and the media doing its bit to promote eco alternatives.

A “little and often” approach to our holidays has surely gone the way of the gas-guzzling 747. Going forward, could we see a return towards fewer, bigger, better-researched and more rewarding and immersive travel experiences? It’s not a bad aspiration. Here at Times Travel, we pledge to keep green travel at the very top of our agenda, prioritising those destinations, airlines and operators that are doing the right thing by way of the planet, and offering plenty of ideas and inspiration for travelling safely, ethically and sustainably.

Main photo: Canoeing on Gusana Lake in Gavoi, Sardinia (Getty Images)