The recently released 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, from Booking.com, shows how the climate crisis is driving consumers to continue prioritizing sustainable travel. American travelers are increasingly making sustainable choices during their trips, while simultaneously calling for more eco-friendly options from travel companies.
A large majority (70%) say they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months and, despite existing barriers and the tightening of purse strings, almost three quarters (74%) confirm that traveling more sustainably is important to them.
Our Analysis: Americans Want to Travel More Sustainably, But Need Help
Two-thirds of respondents (74%) say they want authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture, yet over a third (38%) don’t know how or where to find tours and activities that will ensure they give back to the local community. This gives travel advisors a great opportunity to guide clients toward companies and suppliers that are truly invested in responsible travel.
While travel may be back, rising living costs and climate anxiety has led to greater demand for more budget and planet-friendly options.
And with 42% of consumers willing to pay extra for sustainable travel options, it makes even more business sense for advisors to educate themselves about these options.
Fast Facts: Travelers Want More (and More Affordable) Sustainable Travel Choices
- With more than two thirds of respondents (68%) wanting to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived, U.S. travelers are increasingly adopting a regenerative approach to travel and searching for vacations with maximum positive impact, while seeking credible assurance when booking across the entire travel experience.
- Almost half (47%) of U.S. travelers believe there are not enough sustainable travel options, while 67% want travel companies to offer more sustainable travel choices (up from 58% in 2022).
- While 40% think the environment will get worse in the next six months, 63% believe the cost of living crisis will also get worse. With rising inflation, nearly half of travelers feel they must make a choice between sustainability and spending, with 52% believing more sustainable travel options are too expensive (up 9% from Booking.com’s 2022 data).
- Booking.com celebrated one year of its Travel Sustainable program in November 2022. New features and developments include: U.S. travelers can now find and book greener taxi options in 95 cities worldwide by looking for the “100% Electric” tagging in the search results; in addition to being able to compare the CO2 emissions for different flight options, customers will soon see tagging indicating when a certain route or carrier is offering a relatively lower emissions option; and public transport ticketing options are available after making an accommodation booking in 47 cities worldwide.
What They Are Saying: Travelers Can Be Changemakers
"While travel may be back, rising living costs and climate anxiety has led to greater demand for more budget and planet-friendly options,” said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com. “Travel can be a force for good and travelers themselves are proving to be today’s changemakers, adopting more sustainable travel habits and seeking responsible experiences. We are listening and together with our partners across the industry, we are leading positive change and examining every part of the trip to support travelers and benefit local communities and environments. More sustainable travel is an investment for the world, and we are committed to making it easier for everyone to experience travel in a more mindful and responsible way, no matter where they are on their sustainability journey.”
