AMSTERDAM—To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Booking.com released findings from its global Sustainable Travel Report. In a year that the United Nations has designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, this new research points to some promising signs when it comes to the eco-considerations weighed by both travelers and accommodations.
The number of travelers staying in an eco-friendly or “green” accommodation at least once could double this year with 65 percent of global travelers expressing this intention versus 34 percent who stayed in one or more last year. In addition, 68 percent confirm they are more likely to consider choosing an accommodation knowing that it was eco-friendly, with Chinese (93 percent), Brazilian (83 percent) and Spanish (80 percent) travelers the most likely. For a large 79 percent, sustainable considerations also impact their mode of transport when traveling, with 43 percent taking public transport whenever possible, 42 percent trying to walk, bike or hike as much as possible and nearly one fifth (18 percent) flying less to reduce their carbon footprint.
When it comes to making luxury adjustments in order to stay somewhere eco-friendly, the vast majority of global travelers would be more than happy to accept these, with 94 percent willing to stay in a property with energy saving lightbulbs, 89 percent in one with AC/heating units that only run while you’re in the room and 80 percent in one with low flow showerheads.
Sustainable Travel Goals
The term “sustainable travel” continues to mean many things to many people, but the role of accommodations in helping travelers to achieve their sustainable travel goals is clear. The research shows that over half (56 percent) consider staying in eco-friendly accommodation as sustainable travel, topping the list of what travelers think when they hear the term. For well over a third, it means conserving water by reusing towels and bed sheets (38 percent) and conserving the environment by reducing use of amenity goods such as shampoo, soap, toothbrush, shaving razor (35 percent).
For many, sustainable travel is also synonymous with a more authentic, local experience. Thirty-eight percent perceive the buying of locally-made products and supporting local artisans as sustainable travel, while 36 percent would choose an eco-friendly accommodation because it provides a more locally-relevant experience.
“Just as where we stay on holiday plays a pivotal role in the enjoyment of our trip, so it also plays an increasingly important role in helping people to travel sustainably,” says Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com. “Whether by serving locally grown food, using or selling local crafts, conserving water and energy, recycling or connecting guests with the local community, accommodations today are working on a range of sustainability efforts and it’s heartening to see travelers so keen to explore and embrace these. Since adding eco-based interests and destination endorsements to our Passion Search tool at Booking.com, we’ve also seen a growing number of endorsements left by travelers, so the sustainable appetite is there.”
Sustainable Travel Considerations
Even though only 5 percent of global travelers actually believe it is easy to travel sustainably, 46 percent of globally travelers consider themselves a sustainable traveler, with Italy, Germany and China seeing a rise in those identifying this way since last year but in markets like Australia, Brazil, Japan and the United States there has been a fall (down 5 percent, 8 percent, 4 percent and 4 percent respectively).
“At Booking.com we have a mission to empower people to experience the world, a world that should not be taken for granted,” adds Pepijn Rijvers. “We are continually exploring improved ways to uncover and share the sustainability efforts of our accommodation partners with those searching and selecting on our site, and as part of our own commitment to improving destinations worldwide, we recently launched Booking.com Booster. Through this accelerator program for start-ups in sustainable tourism, we will help maximize the impact that these different ventures across the globe can have. Ensuring a sustainable future is a collaborative effort, one that means sharing our expertise and working together, whether destinations, accommodations, travel providers or travelers.”
For the Sustainable Travel Report, data was collected across 11 markets, with over 1,000 respondents in each. Respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have traveled at least once in 2016 and be planning at least one trip for 2017. All respondents had to be at least part of the decision-making process when planning most of their trips. Data was collected in March 2017 by Booking.com with the assistance of an international panel provider.
