British holidaymakers ‘flight shamed’ into beach cleaning

More than 1,500 people have taken part

Beach cleaning has proved popular (Thomas Cook)

British holidaymakers have been voluntarily picking up litter while abroad as part of Thomas Cook’s new “beach clean” activity.

The UK’s third largest tour operator has been offering the activity at 16 of its hotels this summer. So far, some 1,500 people have participated, picking up more than 25,000 items from beaches across Europe.

The company posits that the popularity of beach cleaning is linked to flygskam or flight shame, the Swedish-born movement which encourages travellers to give up flying to reduce their carbon footprint.

The idea has gained extra attention due to teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s recent trip to America from Europe by boat.

According to Thomas Cook’s research, one third of its customers say that noticing litter on the beach affects their decision about whether or not to visit that destination again.

The same research found that two in five Britons say they are more likely to choose activities that benefit the local community in some way now than they were 10 years ago, while a third of holidaymakers are more inclined to opt for experiences that feature local traditions.

“Thanks to Greta Thunberg and other activists, as consumers we’re becoming much more aware of the impact that our behaviour is having on the planet,” said Thomas Cook group corporate affairs director Alice Macandrew.

“This awareness is now filtering into our holiday mindset, with more and more customers wanting to give something back to the destination they visit.

“The popularity of these initiatives shows that customers are willing to clean a beach to clear their conscience, and we’re now looking to roll this out across our hotel portfolio.”

Due to the success of the initial roll-out, Thomas Cook has written to all 200 of its own brand hotels requesting that they put on regular beach cleaning activities next summer.