Travelers' disillusionment with the low impact of their sustainable choices
Travelers are somewhat jaded and disillusioned about their attitudes toward sustainable travel, according to a survey conducted by Booking.com. Although the vast majority say they take this aspect into account in their travels, they do not consider it paramount, and a third feel powerless in the face of the limited impact of their decisions.
The online survey was conducted in February and gathered the opinions of more than 31,000 people from 34 countries and territories who had traveled at least once in the past 12 months and plan to travel in 2024.
More than three-quarters (83%) of respondents said sustainable travel is important, and 75% said they want to travel more sustainably over the next year, down one percentage point from the 2023 survey. However, nearly half of this year's respondents, 45%, say sustainability is not a primary considerationwhen planning or booking travel.
A third say they believe that the damage already done to the environment is irreversible and that their decisions will have no impact. And some also expressed doubts that could be influencing their travel decisions: 28% of respondents said they are tired of hearing about climate change and a quarter said they do not believe climate change is as bad as "it's being painted".
Booking.com says that "not seeing sustainability in action also contributes to the feeling of powerlessness," with more than one-third (34%) of travelers responding that they find it increasingly;inútil" to act more sustainablyat a destination that is not implementing sustainability practices itself.
As for the responsibility to move forward on sustainability, 43% of respondents say that travel service providers"hold the key to counteracting the environmental impact" of travel.
"While many travelers have retained a sense of optimism and a desire to have a more positive impact, there is a critical opportunity for the industry to accelerate efforts to make those decisions easier for everyone,
"It is important that we continue to ensure that the most sustainable options are not only available, but also easy to understand and trust. Thatí s where we believe that increased education, clear and consistent standards and credible third-party certification of legit sustainable practices throughout the travel experience can be really "useful," he added.