Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, launched its first “Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022” in honour of World Tourism Day. The report sheds light on the growing acceptance of sustainable travel and its implications for the travel industry and the global community.
Sustainable travel has moved from the back of travellers’ minds to the forefront of decision-making across the globe, with more than 68% of respondents in Singapore and 90% of respondents in Thailand acknowledging its importance.
READ MORE: 8 tips to get a free upgrade to business class on your flight
More travellers accept that sustainable travel is here to stay
The report finds that the impact of travel has topped the list of reasons why travellers are increasingly drawn to sustainable travel, based on a survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets in Asia and Europe.
According to the survey, 69.3% of Singaporeans and 60.4% of Thais are concerned about the impact of travel on future generations. Sustainability was cited as important by 16.2% in Singapore and 24.6% in Thailand in improving the travel experience, and another 6.2% in both countries thought it was trendy.
Respondents’ perceptions of sustainable travel differ. According to the report, an increasing number of travellers are approaching the term more holistically, emphasizing economic, cultural, and biodiversity aspects in addition to the more traditional environmental considerations.
The more diverse understanding of sustainable travel manifests itself in a variety of ways that travellers consider conducive to tourist destinations, with 39.4% of Singapore respondents recognizing the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods. A staggering 44.7% believe that respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is also an essential component of sustainable travel.
Awareness is on the rise about sustainable travel
Because of shifts in consumer mindset and behaviour, the pandemic is a key driver of a stronger collective desire to travel sustainably.
According to the report, COVID-19 was cited by more than half of respondents in Singapore (63%) and Thailand (78.5%) as a catalyst for their increased desire to choose sustainable options. Travel restrictions increased their appreciation for nature and increased demand for local travel.
One of the report’s highlights is the insight it provides into how Asian and European travellers perceive and practice sustainable travel differently.
Notably, 21.3% of European respondents stated that people choose sustainable travel because “it is trendy,” whereas 7.1% of Asian travellers shared this sentiment.
Because of shifts in consumer mindset and behaviour, the pandemic is a key driver of a stronger collective desire to travel sustainably.
According to the report, COVID-19 was cited by more than half of respondents in Singapore (63%) and Thailand (78.5%) as a catalyst for their increased desire to choose sustainable options. Travel restrictions increased their appreciation for nature and increased demand for local travel.
One of the report’s highlights is the insight it provides into how Asian and European travellers perceive and practice sustainable travel differently.
Notably, 21.3% of European respondents stated that people choose sustainable travel because “it is trendy,” whereas 7.1% of Asian travellers shared this sentiment.
Online travel agencies have the opportunity to lead the way
Despite a surge in popularity, only 20% of respondents reported no barriers to sustainable travel, while the rest encountered a variety of challenges.
Inadequate visibility of sustainable options is a major impediment to their widespread adoption. Travellers attribute this to the difficulty in obtaining information about sustainable travel products, with 21.6% in Singapore and 39.7% in Thailand claiming a lack of sustainable options, and 18.3% in Singapore and more than half of Thai respondents (50.7%) claiming these are not clearly labelled.
READ MORE: Here are 10 of the best places to visit in Vietnam in 2022
As a result, more than half of Singaporeans (59%) and Thais (57.3%) believe Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) should clearly label sustainable options, while 53.6% of Singaporeans and 43.6% of Thais believe OTAs should make it easier to find these options. Over 70% of Singaporeans said OTAs should offer incentives to encourage sustainable travel.
While roughly half of Singaporeans and Thais are willing to pay more to include sustainable options in their trips, they show varying levels of price sensitivity to the higher costs it usually entails, with only about 0.5% of Singaporeans and 7.2% of Thais willing to pay more than 10% of the total price for a sustainable option.
In this context, online travel agencies and booking platforms have a significant opportunity to capitalize on this by highlighting their sustainable travel credentials and endearing themselves to like-minded users. According to the report, an overwhelming 93.0% of respondents would consider booking through OTAs that offer sustainable options.
Best article ever founded on the internet, i also make some cool stuff on my blog, click on my profile name