Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel advisors, recently released the results of a survey highlighting how upscale travelers view sustainable tourism.
According to the survey, 82% of respondents say that the pandemic has made them want to travel more responsibly in the future. Nearly three-fourths (72%) agree that travel should support local communities and economies; travel should preserve a destination’s cultural heritage; and travel should protect the planet. Another 70% think traveling sustainably enhances their vacation experience.
One of the positive outcomes has been an awakening in terms of our greater responsibility to each other and to the planet.
Clients also report that they are willing to make changes in the way they plan travel — 76% say they would visit a destination during an off-peak time of year, and 69% are willing to travel to an alternative, less touristed destination. Travelers are also looking for suppliers that share their views. Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to choose a hotel, cruise line or travel company that has a strong sustainability policy.
Based on the survey results, Jessica Hall Upchurch, vice chair and sustainability strategist for Virtuoso, has dubbed the current resumption of travel as “the conscious comeback.”
“This past year has led to travel’s great reset, and one of the positive outcomes has been an awakening in terms of our greater responsibility to each other and to the planet,” she said. “We’ve seen the consumer mindset move from basic awareness and a general sentiment of ‘someone should do something,’ to the notion of ‘I can, and should, do something.’”
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