“Sustainable Travel Report 2024 presents a timely picture on traveller views, perceptions, habits and potential barriers when it comes to more sustainable travel.”- Santosh Kumar
Booking.com releases its ninth Sustainable Travel Report 2024, with insights gathered from more than 31,000 travellers across 34 countries and territories, exploring the latest consumer attitudes, priorities and influences related to sustainable travel. While the annual research reveals a continued sense of desire and awareness, with 95% of Indian travellers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, new insights show a sense of weariness may be spreading throughout the world because of the ongoing challenges that travellers experience to make more sustainable travel decisions.
A recent study shows that nearly one-fourth (24%) of Indians feel travelling more sustainably is important, but not a primary consideration when planning or booking a trip. Also, 46% of travellers expressed fatigue from constant discussions around climate change. The opportunity for collective action is more pertinent than ever, to ensure that progress toward a more sustainable travel industry remains a priority.
Key findings of the report are:
● 95% of Indian travellers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, with 93% saying that they want to travel more sustainably over the next 12 months.
● 62% of Indian travellers stated they would feel guilty when they make less sustainable travel choices.
● Almost a quarter (24%) of Indian travellers feel travelling more sustainably is important, but not a primary consideration when planning or booking a trip.
● 52% feel that the damage already done is irreversible and that the travel choices they make are not going to change that.
● With 42% of Indians believing governments hold the most potential for countering economic impacts of travel, and 42% thinking travel service providers hold the key to counteracting the environmental factors, these new insights highlight the need for increased collaboration to ensure the continued prioritization of a more sustainable travel industry.
Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com commented “In its 9th year now, Sustainable Travel Report 2024 presents a timely picture on traveller views, perceptions, habits and potential barriers when it comes to more sustainable travel. Each year, we see travellers expressing their intentions and commitments to making more sustainable travel choices, but this year’s new insights show that a sense of weariness could be emerging fueled by the ongoing challenges that they experience to make more sustainable travel choices. With many travellers believing the damage already done is irreversible and the choices they make will not change that, we believe that working together across the industry, simple changes when taken together can start to make a big difference.”
