Trip.com Group has released its inaugural ‘Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022’, coinciding with World Tourism Day. 

This report sheds light on the increased acceptance of sustainable travel and its implications for the travel industry and the wider world. 

Across the globe, sustainable travel has moved to the forefront of travellers’ minds, with close to eight in 10 travellers (78.7%) acknowledging its importance. 

Jane Sun, Trip.com Group CEO, said: “The results reaffirm our vision to educate travellers better and provide a greater volume and variety of reliable, sustainable travel options. 

“Our findings are a clarion call to ourselves as to our allies in the travel sector. In the future, we will join hands with partners, travellers and other stakeholders to venture towards a more sustainable world.” 

Sustainable Travel an Increasingly Accepted Idea 

Based on a survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets in Asia and Europe, the report reveals that the impact of travel has topped the list of reasons why travellers are increasingly drawn to sustainable travel. 

Some 50.5% of those surveyed said they care about the impact of travel on future

generations. 

A third (26.8%) cited its role in improving the travel experience, while 13.2% perceived sustainable travel as ‘trendy’, and 8.4% admitted people opted for sustainable travel due to societal pressure. 

The report shows perception of sustainable travel also varies among respondents. 

It indicates a growing proportion of travellers now regard the term more holistically, emphasising its economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects in addition to the usual environmental considerations. 

The more diversified understanding of sustainable travel manifests itself through several ways that travellers consider conducive to tourist destinations. 

About a third (30%) of respondents recognise the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods, and nearly half (43%) believe respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is also part and parcel of sustainable travel. 

The Rising Awareness of Sustainable Travel 

The pandemic is a key driver of a stronger desire to travel sustainably because of the shift in consumer mindset and behaviour. 

The report points out that over two-thirds (67.8%) of respondents named COVID-19 as a catalyst for their increased appetite to choose sustainable options. About 38.3% said travel restrictions enhanced their appreciation for nature, and another 30.4% yearned to travel closer to home. 

The pandemic has led many travellers to discover short-haul journeys and appreciate how it can help reduce their carbon footprint. 

One of the report’s highlights is that it allows a glimpse into how Asian and European

travellers understand and practise sustainable travel differently. 

Just over a fifth (21.3%) of Europe-based respondents stated people opted for sustainable travel because “it is trendy”, while less than a tenth (7.1%) of Asian travellers took this view. 

Those surveyed also differed in their attitudes towards paying a higher price for sustainable options, with 39.1% of European travellers reluctant to pay extra for them, compared to just under a third (29.5%) among their Asian counterparts. 

However, despite the regional disparities, it’s clear from the report that more and more people have practised sustainable travel in multiple forms. 

Amid heightened sustainability awareness, well over half (59.2%) of respondents demonstrate a tendency to pay for carbon offsetting to reduce the impact of their travel. 

A Significant Opportunity for OTAs 

Notwithstanding a spike in the popularity of sustainable travel, only a fifth (20%) of respondents didn’t report any barrier to sustainable travel, while the rest encountered various obstacles. 

Inadequate visibility of sustainable options appears to pose a significant barrier to their wider adoption. 

Travellers blame this on the difficulty of accessing information about sustainable travel products, with over a third (32.9%) stating there is a lack of sustainable options and a quarter (25.4%) saying these are not clearly marked. 

Accordingly, a little over half of them (50.7%) believed Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) clearly label sustainable options, followed by 41.5% who called upon OTAs to make it easier to find these options, and 39.4% who suggested OTAs offer incentives.

While over two thirds (67.7%) of travellers are open to paying more to include sustainable options in their trips, they display varying levels of price sensitivity to the higher costs it usually entails 

Only 10% of them would be willing to pay over 10% of the total price for a sustainable option. 

Against this backdrop, OTA’s and booking platforms have a significant opportunity to tap into this by showcasing their sustainable travel credentials and endearing themselves to like-minded users. 

The report shows that an overwhelming 93.0% of respondents would consider booking via OTAs that provide sustainable options.