Trip.com Group, a global travel service provider, has released its inaugural Sustainable Travel Consumer Report in conjunction with World Tourism Day. The 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 - both in theory and practice - has moved to the forefront of the decision-making when it comes to travelling, with more than 68% of respondents in Singapore and 90% of respondents in Thailand acknowledging its importance.
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| Source: Trip.com. Despite regional disparities, more and more people are clearly engaging in sustainable travel practices. |
A survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets in Asia and Europe has shown that the impact of travel tops the list of reasons why travellers are increasingly drawn to sustainable travel. Nearly seven in 10 (69.3%) Singapore respondents, and six in 10 (60.4%) Thailand respondents said they care about the impact of travel on future generations.
Further, 16.2% in Singapore and 24.6% in Thailand cited the importance of sustainability in improving the travel experience, and another 6.2% in both countries perceived it as trendy.
The report indicates a growing proportion of travellers now approach the term 'sustainability' more wholistically, emphasising the economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects in addition to the more traditional environmental considerations. The more diversified understanding of sustainable travel comes through when it comes to almost four in 10 Singapore respondents (39.4%) recognising the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods. Some 44.7% believe respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is also part and parcel of sustainable travel.
The report points out that over half of respondents in both Singapore (63%) and Thailand (78.5%) named COVID-19 as a catalyst for their increased appetite for sustainable options. Travel restrictions enhanced their appreciation for nature and spurred demand for travelling closer to home.
Amid heightened sustainability awareness, more than half (59.2%) of respondents demonstrate an inclination to pay a higher price for carbon offsetting to reduce the impact of their travel.
Inadequate visibility of sustainable options poses a significant barrier to their wider adoption. Travellers blame this on the difficulty of accessing information about sustainable travel products, with 21.6% in Singapore and 39.7% in Thailand stating there is a lack of sustainable options and 18.3% in Singapore and over half of the Thai respondents (50.7%) saying these are not clearly labelled.
Accordingly, over 50% of Singapore (59%) and Thailand (57.3%) respondents believe online travel agencies (OTAs) should clearly label sustainable options, followed by 53.6% of Singapore respondents and 43.6% of Thailand respondents who called upon OTAs to make it easier to find these options. Over 70% of respondents from Singapore also suggested OTAs offer incentives to encourage sustainable travel.
While approximately half of travellers in both Singapore and Thailand 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, with only around 0.5% of Singapore respondents and 7.2% of Thailand respondents willing to pay over 10% of the total price for a sustainable option. The report also shows that 93% of respondents would consider booking via OTAs that provide sustainable options.
Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, 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."
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Download the Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022 (PDF).
