Across the globe, sustainable travel as a concept and practice has moved from the back of travellers’ minds to claim a dominant position in the decision-making process, with close to eight in 10 travellers acknowledging its importance, says a new survey from Trip.com Group.
The 2022 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report sheds light on the increased acceptance of sustainable travel and its implications for the travel industry and the wider world.
Against this backdrop, the report says travel agencies and booking platforms have a significant opportunity to tap into this by showcasing their sustainable travel credentials and endearing themselves to like-minded users. The report shows that an overwhelming 93.0% of respondents would consider booking via companies that provide sustainable options.
Based on a survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets, the report finds that the impact of travel has topped the list of reasons why travellers are increasingly drawn to sustainable travel.
Some 50.5% of respondents said they care about the impact of travel on future generations, a third (26.8%) cited its role in improving the travel experience, another 13.2% perceived it as trendy, and 8.4% admitted people opted for sustainable travel due to societal pressure.
Perception of sustainable travel also varies among the respondents. The report indicates a growing proportion of travellers now approach the term more holistically, emphasising the economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects in addition to the usual environmental considerations.
The more diversified understanding of sustainable travel manifests itself through several ways that travellers consider conducive to tourist destinations.
About 30% of respondents recognise the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods, and a striking 43% believe respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is also part and parcel of sustainable travel.
Rising awareness
The pandemic is a key driver of a stronger desire to travel sustainably because of the shift in consumer mindset and behaviour.
The report points out that over two-thirds (67.8%) of respondents named COVID-19 as a catalyst for their increased appetite to choose sustainable options. About 38.3% said travel restrictions enhanced their appreciation for nature, and another 30.4% yearned to travel closer to home. The pandemic has led many travellers to discover short-haul journeys and realizes how it can help reduce their carbon footprint.
One of the report’s highlights is that it allows a glimpse into how travellers understand and practise sustainable travel differently.
For example, 21.3% of Europe-based respondents stated that people opt for sustainable travel because “it is trendy,” while the portion of Asian travellers who took this view is much smaller, at 7.1%.
They also differed in their attitudes towards paying a higher price for sustainable options, with 39.1% of European travellers reluctant to pay extra for them, compared to 29.5% among their Asian counterparts.
Despite the regional disparities, however, it’s clear from the report that more and more people have practised sustainable travel in multiple forms.
Amid heightened sustainability awareness, more than half (59.2%) of respondents demonstrate a tendency to pay for carbon offsetting to reduce the impact of their travel.
Notwithstanding a spike in the popularity of sustainable travel, only 20% of respondents didn’t report any barrier to sustainable travel, while the rest encountered various obstacles.
Inadequate visibility of sustainable options poses a significant barrier to their wider adoption. Travellers blame this on the difficulty of accessing information about sustainable travel products, with 32.9% stating there is a lack of sustainable options and 25.4% saying these are not clearly marked.
Accordingly, a little over half of them (50.7%) believed travel companies should clearly label sustainable options, followed by 41.5% who called upon them to make it easier to find these options, and 39.4% who suggested that incentives be offered.
While 67.7% of travellers are open to paying more to include sustainable options in their trips, they display varying levels of price sensitivity to the higher costs it usually entails, with only around 10% of them would be willing to pay over 10% of the total price for a sustainable option.