Nearly half (48 percent) of global travelers feel traveling more sustainably is important, but it is not a primary consideration when planning or booking a trip. (This number jumps up to 82 percent when considering only American travelers.) On the flip side, one-third (32 percent) of travelers report they are tired of hearing about climate change all the time. This research comes from Booking.com's latest Sustainable Travel report. The company added that with all this in mind, the opportunity for collective action is more pertinent than ever in order to ensure that progress toward a more sustainable travel industry remains a priority.
Looking ahead, a reassuring 74 percent of American travelers say that they want to travel more sustainably over the next 12 months, and 42 percent would feel guilty when they make less sustainable travel choices. When it comes to motivators among those who want to travel more sustainably, 39 percent want to do so because they believe it's the right thing to do.
However, a sense of disillusion towards making more sustainable travel choices may be counteracting those intentions. New areas of exploration researched for the first time this year reveal that some travelers don’t recognize the importance of being more mindful of their impact, as one-fourth (26 percent) feel that the damage already done is irreversible and that the travel choices they make are not going to change that. In fact, a quarter of travelers (25 percent) don’t believe climate change is as severe as people make it out to be—a dismissal of the issue that may well be impacting travel plans.
Moreover, some feel their time spent traveling is too precious to put sustainability at the top of their decision-making list (26 percent). Not seeing sustainability in action is also contributing to the sense of powerlessness; almost a third (31 percent) of travelers believe that being more sustainable in a destination that is not implementing sustainability practices itself feels pointless.
The role travelers feel they can play in tackling the negative impacts of travel also highlights their expectations around collaboration. A noteworthy 75 percent of American travelers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived (up from 68 percent last year), and this year’s additional research shows 49 percent think they themselves have the potential to counteract the social impacts of travel. On the other hand, 32 percent think governments hold the most potential for countering the economic effects, and 42 percent believe travel service providers hold the key to addressing environmental factors. Furthermore, 29 percent of American travelers believe that governments are responsible for educating people on the impacts of travel and tourism.
Responsibilities extend to how consumers are being supported to fulfill their intentions. Coming across an accommodation labeled as more sustainable is more appealing to almost half of travelers (49 percent) and consistency of certification standards is critical to identifying these options, with 65 percent agreeing that all travel booking sites should use the same sustainable certifications or labels. However, the number of travelers who are interested to learn more about why the accommodation was given this label is down 15 percentage points (at 51 percent) when compared with the same time last year, indicating a need for simple, clear communication that enables easy decision-making regardless of priorities.
Despite the emerging frustrations, travelers who say they are making more mindful choices also feel that more sustainable travel experiences are actually adding value to their trips. New areas of research in this year’s report found that 59 percent of American travelers recognize that they are the best version of themselves when they travel more sustainably and consequently take home this positivity, just as 67 percent feel that witnessing sustainable practices while traveling inspires them to be more sustainable in their everyday life. Of those who adopted sustainable behaviors on their travels, it was seen as an enhancement for 97 percent who did tours or activities for authentic, local, and cultural experiences, 94 percent who shopped at small, independent stores, and 89 percent who planned their trips so that they could walk, bike or take public transport.
Source: Booking.com
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