Like the recent survey conducted by Booking.com, a similar one conducted by The Vacationer indicates a strong preference for sustainable travel. When asked how important sustainable travel is to you, 82 percent said either somewhat important (56%) or very important (26%). “Sustainable travel is most important to the youngest generation aged 18 to 29,” the report said. “29.63 percent of people in this age bracket noted it was Very Important to them.”
When asked, “Do you intend to make more sustainable (eco-friendly) decisions when planning travel?”, 48 percent said yes but only if it does not inconvenience them. Twenty-six percent said yes, regardless if it inconveniences them. Twenty-five percent said no.
“Respondents in the Middle Atlantic region said they were most likely to make eco-friendly travel planning decisions,” the report said. “81.82 percent of people in this region which includes the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have these intentions. On the other hand, the West North Central region is the least likely to make sustainable decisions with 44 percent saying no. The West North Central region includes the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
When asked, “How much more would you be willing to spend on your vacation in order to lower your carbon footprint from the trip?”, 28 percent said zero dollars, 26 percent said less than $50, and 33 percent said between $50 and $250.
“The older a survey respondent was, the less likely they were willing to spend more on a vacation to lower their carbon footprint,” the report said. “39.56 percent of those over 60 said they would not be willing to spend more despite likely having the most money.” Over 71 percent of adult Americans would pay more for a vacation in order to lower their carbon footprint.
This Sustainable Travel Survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of The Vacationer. In total, 504 Americans over the age of 18 were polled between April 21 and April 22.
