CHICAGO—With more than 67 percent of Americans placing importance on the eco-friendliness of a destination, this market segment has a growing future ahead of it, according to a recent Orbitz survey of 320 adults ages 19 to 65. Travelers are reassessing how they travel, where they stay and the impact they leave behind when on vacation. Conducted by MarketTool’s Zoomerang’s polling service, the Orbitz survey found that:
• More than half (65 percent) state it would somewhat impact their decision to stay at a hotel if they knew the hotel was using solar or wind energy to supplement the powering of the building.
• A strong majority (63 percent) state they would pay a little more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a “green” hotel.
• More than half (52 percent) of Americans state they would be willing to donate a small portion of their vacation budget to help save the environment when booking a trip.
Although great strides have been made regarding eco-travel awareness, it is clear that many Americans feel that destinations in the United States could be doing a better job when it comes to working to preserve Mother Nature. More than half (51 percent) of Americans surveyed believe the tourism industry in the United States is not environmentally friendly.
“As a responsible global business within the tourism industry, Orbitz is working to provide its customers with more eco-friendly travel information and choices,” says Heather Leisman, senior director of merchandising for Orbitz. “Orbitz encourages our customers to increase their awareness and consideration of the planet—whether sea kayaking in Alaska or cleaning up a beach in Key West.”
The Orbitz poll was conducted online using MarketTool’s Zommerang panel of 320 adults ages 19 to 65, who are regular travelers. Zommerang is a market research service, owned by MarketTool, that directly manages a nationally-representative online panel of more than 2.5 million individuals, with a global network extending to more than 8 million consumers worldwide.
Go to Orbitz.
