Here are some of the innovative ways people are going on holiday during coronavirus

Tents in trees, “watermelon” cabins, going off-grid. These are just some of the unusual ways people are spending their longed-for summer holidays in Europe, with quirky retreats reporting brisk business.

And as the continent’s lockdowns lift, some booking sites have reported record sales, buoyed by surging demand for “staycations” amid continued foreign travel restrictions.

A survey in Ireland found 94% would prefer to holiday at home this year.

It’s some good news for the beleaguered global travel industry – a huge employer whose airlines and millions of staff face an uncertain future. According to OECD forecasts, international tourism could decline by between 60% and 80% in 2020

‘Experience’ holidays

"It's hanging free in the air, relating to your childhood dreams, building a hut in your tree."

This is how Dutch artist, Dre Wapenaar, describes his teardrop-shaped tents that hang from trees. They have become a popular alternative holiday destination in Belgium, and can also be found in France, the Netherlands and the United States. He says the tents have been booked up faster than usual this year.

Similarly eccentric and beguiling are the watermelon-shaped cabins at "Villa Sandia" in southern Spain. Made out of pottery and shaped like vegetables and fruits, they’ve also seen an upswing in bookings, according to the campsite owner.

Rural retreats

The popularity of remote rural getaways appears to be reflected elsewhere on the continent.

In the UK, alternative getaway sites like Host Unusual – which offers “unique and unusual places to stay” – have benefited from the appetite for seclusion.

“People are looking at holidays that involve less travel overall, not necessarily just avoiding airports and ports,” Host Unusual director Alex Wilson tells Bristol Live.

“The desire to go somewhere safe and switch off from the panic of current affairs has seen a marked rise in off-grid places.”

Bright spots

These stories of growth in tourism are welcome developments for a sector that the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates accounts for around 10% of all jobs worldwide and generates more than 10% of global GDP.

And while Europe’s airlines are expected to make huge losses this year, with painful consequences for jobs, skies are also clearer – and cleaner.

However, it remains to be seen whether these trends will continue when (or if) the pandemic is finally defeated.

Pre-coronavirus, the aviation industry was responsible for about 2% of global carbon emissions, and the sector is more than a decade into a strategy to play its part in reducing climate change, according to industry body the IATA.

As the world looks towards a Great Reset after the crisis, experts say there is a fresh opportunity for governments and industry to cooperate on projects to create the systems and tools we need to fight climate change and build sustainable growth.