91% of Indian travellers prefer sustainable travel! Know more about the trend and the challenges

• Nine in ten Indian travellers say they want to travel more sustainably, which is a 15% increase compared to 2021.
• Sustainable travel implies responsible tourism that can sustain long-term without harming the natural environment.
• But, 36% of travellers believe that sustainable travel destinations don't provide the luxury and comfort they want on vacation.

As the climate and the ecological crisis deepen day by day, many conscious Indians are carving new experiences by travelling more thoughtfully now. They are now opting to travel closer to home, choosing public transport, and renting bicycles to reduce their carbon footprint.

Around 91% of the Indian travellers say that they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months, which is a 15% increase compared to 2021, reveals a new 2022 Sustainable Travel Research Report by online travel agency Booking.com.

The report further added that 94% of Indian travellers think that sustainable travel is very important, and 68% of them cited that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.

The research commissioned by the travel aggregator company involved a sample of 30,314 respondents across 32 countries and territories.

What is sustainable travel?

Some of us may not be aware, but air travel causes unmatched amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, and is currently among the most unsustainable way to travel. Also, many reports suggest that mass tourism threatens the ecological resilience of several remote places in the world.

Sustainable travel implies responsible tourism that can sustain long-term without harming the natural environment. Such travel options minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the local environment as well as the socio-cultural fabric. Ideally, it boosts the local economy and is beneficial to the area in which it takes place.

As people are becoming more aware of this concept, 80% of Indian travellers claim to have stayed in a sustainable accommodation over the past year, while 69% indicate that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before they book.

“With increasing awareness of the climate crisis, people are travelling more thoughtfully, more creatively, and more intentionally.” says the report.

While the concept is not new, sustainable and responsible travel has turned mainstream over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. As travellers explored creative ways amid travel restrictions, a whole new set of purpose-driven, sustainable entrepreneurship has emerged in the hospitality industry. However, challenges remain!

Roadblocks for sustainability in travel

While the statistics indicate that awareness of sustainable stays is clearly growing, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. A significant portion of people still seems unsure as to how to travel more sustainably, how to find sustainable stay options, and whether to trust the available information. This highlights a need for the travel industry to make information transparent and understandable for a broad audience, says the report.

Out of those travellers who didn’t opt for sustainable accommodation over the past year, 29% of them didn’t even know that this exists, while 37% didn’t know how to find this type of accommodation, the report suggested.

On the other hand, 36% of travellers believe that such destinations don't provide the luxury and comfort they want on vacation.

“With increased pressure on our natural resources and the undeniable impact our way of life is having on the environment, we are 100% committed to leading the industry in charting a more mindful and responsible course for the future of travel,” says Glenn Fogel, CEO at Booking.com.

The company claims that it remained carbon-neutral in its operations in 2021 and transitioned to 100% renewable electricity towards the end of 2021, an important step as part of its recently released Climate Action Plan.

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