Expedia sustainable travel study

A 32-page report which explores consumer attitudes, values, and motivations in making conscientious choices.  The analysis is based on a survey of 11,000 adult consumers from eleven separate countries around the world with the goal of providing a better understanding of what consumers consider sustainable travel to be, what trade-offs they are willing to make and where they are looking for information to aid their decision making. 

Findings include: 

• Two-thirds believe that sustainable travel is about lessening environmental impact and supporting local economies 
• 90% of consumers say they look for sustainable options when travelling (although we should note that tis is what people say they do and not a guarantee that it is what they actually do) 
• 7-in-10 claim to have avoided a destination or transport option because they are sceptical about the authenticity of sustainability claims 
• 74% report that it is too expensive to be more sustainable when travelling but half claim that they would be willing to pay more for a sustainable option 
• The report suggests that consumers would, on average, be willing to pay 38% more to make their travels more sustainable – again we should be cautious about this finding as it relates to a hypothetical scenario 

• Nearly 70% say they are willing to sacrifice convenience in order to be more sustainable 
• The majority, seven-in-ten, say they feel overwhelmed by starting the process of being a more sustainable traveller 
• Half say they are looking for the likes of local tourism destination organisations to provide more information on sustainable travel choices 

The authors conclude that the key take-aways are that consumers are seeking clarity on sustainable travel choices, authenticity that travel brands are truly committed to sustainability and value, being willing to pay more if it is clear how this will have a positive impact.