Trip.com Group's Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2024 presents a fresh, in-depth look at the evolution of sustainable travel in the eyes of consumers, especially post-pandemic.
Most global travellers now see access to information about more sustainable travel options as a consumer right rather than a novel or secondary concern, signalling a new norm. According to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), sustainable travel is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It aims to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive ones. However, our study shows a lack of shared understanding of what sustainable travel entails, with regional differences in interpretations and motivations.
A key disparity is price sensitivity. While an increasing proportion of travellers recognise sustainable travel as beneficial and desirable, most are reluctant to bear the additional costs.
This highlights challenges in turning newfound awareness into impactful action. Public education is urgently needed to inform consumption, but as our survey shows, making sustainable options more visible and credible is also vital. As many as a third of respondents have never chosen a more sustainable product.
In response to these challenges, the report guides the broader travel industry on the next steps to take, emphasising that sustainable travel is a collective responsibility. Travellers expect OTAs to contribute by offering more reward programs, especially amid post-pandemic economic challenges.
This year's report, based on 9,867 survey samples from 109 countries and territories across four regions, expands Trip.com Group's inaugural 2022 survey beyond APAC and EMEA to include markets like LATAM and NORAM, with further insights into Gen Z preferences and regional variations.
Trip.com Group's Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2024 presents a fresh, in-depth look at the evolution of sustainable travel in the eyes of consumers, especially post-pandemic.
Most global travellers now see access to information about more sustainable travel options as a consumer right rather than a novel or secondary concern, signalling a new norm. According to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), sustainable travel is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It aims to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive ones. However, our study shows a lack of shared understanding of what sustainable travel entails, with regional differences in interpretations and motivations.
A key disparity is price sensitivity. While an increasing proportion of travellers recognise sustainable travel as beneficial and desirable, most are reluctant to bear the additional costs.
This highlights challenges in turning newfound awareness into impactful action. Public education is urgently needed to inform consumption, but as our survey shows, making sustainable options more visible and credible is also vital. As many as a third of respondents have never chosen a more sustainable product.
In response to these challenges, the report guides the broader travel industry on the next steps to take, emphasising that sustainable travel is a collective responsibility. Travellers expect OTAs to contribute by offering more reward programs, especially amid post-pandemic economic challenges.
This year's report, based on 9,867 survey samples from 109 countries and territories across four regions, expands Trip.com Group's inaugural 2022 survey beyond APAC and EMEA to include markets like LATAM and NORAM, with further insights into Gen Z preferences and regional variations.
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