What:
According to a new Booking.com survey, sustainable travel continues to trend among American travelers. About four in 10 travelers (35 percent) say they often or always opt for eco-friendly travel, while 78 percent say they want to travel sustainably. However, 43 percent state that they never, rarely or only sometimes do so.
Why It Matters:
Our world is becoming increasingly fragile as it endures overtourism, globalization, climate change and the like. And according to Booking.com, green travelers are inspired by impressive natural sights (55 percent) and the visible impact of tourism on destinations (43 percent). Agents can gently push their clients in the right direction by showcasing sustainable options and increasing awareness. Such efforts can be profitable for agents: Two-thirds of those surveyed would be willing to increase their spending by 5 percent if it results in a lower environmental impact.
Fast Facts:
- Top barriers to Americans traveling sustainably includes higher costs (46 percent), lack of information (27 percent), being too time-consuming (21 percent), lack of appealing destinations (18 percent) and lack of luxury/comfort (19 percent).
- Top reasons travelers give for choosing eco-friendly accommodations include reducing the environmental impact (28 percent), having a locally relevant experience (25 percent) and feeling good about an accommodation choice (26 percent).
What They Are Saying:
“As travelers increasingly look to explore and experience the world in a sustainable way, we continue to look at ways that we can help make it even easier for them to do that, whether by highlighting eco-friendly properties or enabling people to filter their search results on Booking.com based on proximity to an electric vehicle charging station,” said Pepijn Rijvers, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com. “Meaningful change can only come about through collaboration on multiple fronts throughout the entire sustainable tourism ecosystem. That’s why we also look to foster innovation in the sustainable tourism space through our Booking Booster initiatives to fund and support remarkable startups and change makers in this area. Today’s research reaffirms that sustainable travel is within reach for all of us, which is encouraging as we together strive to make a positive impact for a more sustainable future.”
The Details:
Booking.com
www.booking.com
