Contiki coaches ditch diesel to save the planet

With a dedicated following of 18- to 35-year-olds, Contiki is looking to commit to the demands of greener living and more environmentally friendly tourism with its Europe coaches, which will now run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) instead of diesel. This shift promises to bring about a reduction in carbon emissions by up to 30-40%.

Young travellers have identified environmentally conscious travel as an important issue when choosing a travel provider. To prioritise HVO fuel wherever possible, Contiki — known worldwide for taking young travellers around Europe by coach — has set up an HVO tank in its coach yard in Stellendam, in the Netherlands.

HVO is a fuel produced without fossil resources by processing renewable waste lipids. The HVO used in Contiki coaches is made purely from food and plant waste, so nothing is intentionally grown to be used as waste. In the past year, Contiki has taken several such steps as part of its mission to reduce its carbon footprint and reach Net Zero by 2050.

Recently, it announced that all its exclusive properties in Europe now run on 100% renewable electricity.

“Reducing our footprint has long been an important focus for Contiki and our sister brands at TTC, so we’re delighted to be making this switch to HVO biofuel in Europe,” said Tasha Hayes, Contiki’s operations director and sustainability officer.

“Last year, in our ‘Voice of a Generation’ survey, we found that 70% of Gen Z travellers would choose to travel by coach if it meant it was better for the environment. We’re proud to be leading the way with initiatives that enact positive change within our industry and have a positive impact on our wonderful planet too.”