Booking.com has released new research data that suggests travellers are being forced to choose between lower cost and making more sustainable travel choices.
The OTA gathered insights from more than 33 000 travellers across 35 countries, and while 76% said they would like to travel more sustainably over the next year, the same number said the global energy crisis and rising cost of living were affecting their spending plans.
Travellers have been left unsure of what to prioritise, at a time when 49% of them believe that the environment will get worse in the next six months and 64% of them believe that the cost-of-living crisis will also worsen.
Of the respondents, 49% said sustainable travel options were too expensive, while 42% said they would be willing to pay more for sustainability.
Some wanted to be incentivised to choose sustainable options, with 49% saying they would like discounts and other economic incentives if they opted for eco-friendly options; 42% said that what would encourage them to travel more sustainably was receiving rewards points that they could use to access free extra perks, or getting discounts through online travel booking sites.
According to the research, other barriers to consumers choosing more sustainable travel options include:
- 51% believe that there are not enough sustainable travel options.
- 74% say they would like companies to offer more options.
- 44% don’t know where they can find sustainable options.
Despite these barriers and the economic factors that impact choosing sustainable options, travellers can still adopt certain micro-habits while on vacation to drive a more sustainable future.
According to Booking.com, it appears that 21st-century consumers are already eco-conscious to the extent that there has been significant uptake in these everyday habits:
- 67% turn the air-conditioning off at their accommodation when they are not there.
- 60% re-use the same towel multiple times.
- 55% use their own reusable water bottle.
- 77% turn the lights and appliances off when they are not there.
- 45% recycle their rubbish while on vacation.
- 43% plan their travel so that they can make use of public transport or walk and cycle to their activities.
- 43% travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding.
- 43% choose to support small, independent stores and support local businesses in the destinations.
