Cornwall has been revealed as the unofficial eco-friendly camping capital of the UK with an impressive 36 green camping sites in the area, as new research reveals the growth of eco-friendly camping.
The popularity of eco-friendly travel and eco-camping has seen a huge uptake over the last five years, with a 436% increase in search volume across the UK since 2017, new research from leading campervan and motorhome rental company, Camptoo, has revealed.
The UK now has 161 specialist eco-friendly campsites, a number that is expected to grow considerably in the coming years, with Cornwall the hotspot for eco-camping with 36 green sites in the area.
As well as being the unofficial eco-camping capital of the UK, it is also the hotspot for Camptoo rentals with 139 bookings in the last 30 days – a 1290% increase from the same period last year. There are many family tent or hiking tent options should you be looking to buy your own tent.
And the trend does not stop with the UK, as other major European countries Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal are all seeing a similar rise for the search term ‘eco-camping’
As well as this, several popular eco camping-related products have seen a sharp upward trend in searches, such as bamboo toilet roll which has increased by a massive 2833% in search volume since 2017 in the UK. Those looking for a good night’s sleep can buy an Ecoy bamboo memory foam pillow.
Research also found bamboo cutlery (306%) , Eco sleeping bag (61%) and eco-friendly wood-burning camping stoves (519%) all dramatically increased in searches in the last five years, while portable solar chargers have been consistently popular online, following the increasing demand for camping and vanlife type experiences
The most popular eco-friendly camping products are bamboo cutlery and Ecodesign wood-burning stoves – which produce 80% fewer harmful emissions than standard stoves – with roughly around 1,300 monthly searches for each product over the past 12 months – proving Brits are becoming increasingly aware of ways in which they do their bit to protect the environment.
Camptoo’s Head of Wanderlust Ed Bassett commented on the growing trend, “It’s wonderful to see so many people take an interest in the environment and looking for ways in which they can improve how they live and travel and the camping equipment they take with them.
“We are keen to promote any ways in which people can travel while staying eco-friendly and would encourage budding campers to take some of these products and our research in general into consideration when planning their adventures.
“With a vast array of products from bamboo cutlery, composting toilets, recycled and refurbished campervans and growth in the use of portable solar chargers all now readily available at reasonable prices, making a few switches here and there can have a great effect on reducing your camping carbon footprint.
“The very act of renting a camper or tent is in itself helping the environment as are many businesses’ in the sharing economy.
“Rather than buy new, the sharing economy is changing the way people use and share their assets which is good for the owners and the environment. Camping in the UK is also saving on travel carbon footprint from travelling abroad and we look forward to more electric campers hitting the market.
“Not only that, but the increasingly growing number of ‘green’ campsites popping up across the UK and Europe makes it very easy to find a spot and make your next camping trip an environmentally friendly one.”
For further reading try our eight tips for eco-friendly travel, or see how the travel and tourism sector can lead to a clean and green future.
