A major new report by World Travel & Tourism Council reveals a heightened appetite for sustainable tourism amongst consumers, with 69% of travellers actively seeking sustainable travel options.
In this follow-up report, WTTC joined forces with global travel service provider Trip.com Group and its major consumer brands Trip.com, Ctrip and Skyscanner, with additional data sourced from Deloitte, to analyze the trends that shaped the Travel & Tourism sector last year and will continue to do so over 2023.
The report, “A world in motion: shifting consumer travel trends in 2022 and beyond,” shows that sustainability is a key element of the travel agenda, with travellers eager to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable tourism.
According to a survey included in the report, three quarters of travellers are considering travelling more sustainably in the future and nearly 60% have chosen more sustainable travel options in the last couple of years.
Another survey also found that around three quarters of high-end travellers are willing to pay extra to make their trips more sustainable.
Last year, following more than two years of travel disruption, travellers made clear their wanderlust is very much alive, with a 109% increase of international overnight arrivals, compared to 2021.
According to the report, last year consumers were willing to stretch their budget for their holiday plans, with 86% of travellers planning on spending the same amount or more on international travel than in 2019.
But 2023 is looking even better in terms of travellers’ spend. Despite concerns about inflation and the cost-of-living crisis around the world, nearly a third (31%) of travellers said they intend to spend more on international travel this year than in 2022.
Additionally, according to Deloitte’s ‘Global State of the Consumer Tracker,’ last year more than half (53%) of global consumers surveyed during the summer said they plan to stay in a hotel over the following three months.
Other findings revealed in the report include:
• 2022 sun and sea package holiday sales are estimated to be up 75% compared to the previous year
• Last year during the summer, international arrivals in European sun and beach destinations were just 15% below 2019 levels
• According to WTTC’s recent ‘Cities Economic Impact Research,’ in 2022 visits to major cities are expected to see a 58% year-on-year increase, less than 14% below 2019 levels
• Luxury holidays will prove particularly popular, with sales of luxury hotels expected to reach $92 billion by 2025 (compared to $76 billion in 2019)
• In a survey, nearly 60% of travellers said they were either already paying to offset their carbon emissions or considering it if the price was right
“The demand for travel is now stronger than ever and our report shows that this year we will see a significant bounce back. 2023 is set to be a very strong year for Travel & Tourism,” said WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson. “Sustainability is top of travellers’ agenda, and consumers highlight the value they put on protecting nature and travelling responsibly.”