New Report Finds Global Travelers Are Aware & Confused About Sustainable Travel

A new report from leading global travel service provider, Trip.com Group, found that while travelers are more aware of sustainability than ever before, there’s a gap between that awareness and action when it comes to their travel. 

The new report, entitled, “Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2024,” surveyed nearly 10,000 travelers from across 109 countries around the world. 

The Action Issue

Of these nearly 10,000 travelers, 92 percent may consider sustainable travel, yet only 56.9 percent have reported actually practicing sustainable travel. 

The main issue? Uncertainty over what is actually sustainable: 48.1 percent of travelers are unsure of what is sustainable or not, 32 percent doubt how sustainable a product or experience actually is and 22.4 percent of travelers also doubt how integrating sustainability into their trip could make it better. 

Travelers across the globe are also pretty evenly divided on who they believe should be driving the sustainable transition of the industry: 35.1 percent believe it should be a combined effort between individuals, governments and the industry. Another 32.3 percent believe it should be an individual effort, 32.1 percent say it should be the governments’ duty, while another 31.7 percent say it should be the industry’s role. 

Paying for Sustainability 

Additionally, travelers are aware that more sustainable travel methods or experiences might also be more expensive, and 38.8 percent of global travelers just aren’t willing to pay more to reduce their impact. However, 42.5 percent are open to paying a premium, but within certain limits, with one in five travelers willing to pay up to 5 percent more for sustainable travel. 

A Greater Need for Sustainability Information

On average, 54.7 percent of global travelers routinely seek out information about sustainability when they’re planning their next trips, but uncertainty about what’s actually sustainable and what isn’t, and lack of visibly sustainable options online lead to less travelers choosing more sustainable options. Lack of sustainability information has been a long-standing issue in the industry. 

A stunning 75.8 percent of global travelers expect OTAs and travel providers to clearly label their sustainable travel options, with another 72.4 percent citing clearly marked sustainable offerings as a motivator to purchase travel experiences through that provider. 

With that, though, travelers who do choose to incorporate sustainability into their travels typically take lower-emission transportation, stay at eco-friendly accommodations, participate in a carbon offsetting program and actively reduce their single-use plastics usage. 

The New Generation of Travelers 

Gen Z travelers are just as price-conscious as other generations, and are also uncertain as to what is truly sustainable and what isn’t. 

With that being said, this generation is by far one of the most conscious: 73 percent of Gen Z travelers consider purchasing sustainable travel offerings (second only to Millennials, 76.7 percent of whom regularly consider purchasing sustainable travel offerings), and 53.6 percent say the environment is a big motivator for sustainable travel. 

Yet nearly half of them (48.3 percent) are unsure as to what makes a trip actually sustainable. This might be because only 20.6 percent of Gen Z travelers even report seeing sustainable travel options regularly online. 

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