94 per cent Indian travellers confirm sustainable travel is important to them, finds Booking.com research report

With insights gathered from over 30,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories, Booking.com has released its 2022 Sustainable Travel Research Report, highlighting that the impact of their trips remains top of mind. A total of 91 per cent Indian travellers said that they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months - a 15 per cent increase over the company’s 2021 data. With 94 per cent Indian travellers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, 68 per cent cited that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices. To that end, 64 per cent Indian travellers say the sustainability efforts of accommodations and transport providers play a strong role in their property and transport decisions respectively. In fact, 88 per cent of Indian travellers say they would be more likely to choose a sustainable accommodation - whether they were looking specifically for one or not. 

In search of more sustainable stays 
Awareness and visibility of more sustainable stays continues, with 68 per cent Indian travellers confirming they have seen a sustainable accommodation on an online travel site over the past year and 69 per cent indicating that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before they book. Even more encouraging are the 80 per cent of Indian travellers who say they have actually stayed in a sustainable accommodation over the past year. While 97 per cent of Indian travellers intend to stay in a sustainable property at least once in the coming year, there is still more to do to make more sustainable stay options easier to find for everyone. Of those who didn’t stay in a sustainable accommodation over the past year, 29 per cent said they didn’t know they existed. While this is down 51 per cent from 2021, indicating that awareness is growing, nearly 37 per cent said they still didn’t know how to find them. A total of 28 per cent admit they don’t actively look for the sustainability efforts of a property before they book, but if easily accessible, they say they will review it, which further underlines the importance of making this sustainability information transparent and understandable for a broad audience of travellers.

Alternative destinations and timing
When thinking about future trips 42 per cent Indian travellers said they’d be willing to exclusively travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding, and 64 per cent revealed they would avoid popular tourist destinations and attractions to ensure a more even dispersal of the impact and benefits of their visit. 42 per cent would even be willing to choose an alternative to their preferred destination to help avoid overcrowding.

On the flip side, 55 per cent Indian travellers struggle to find appealing destinations that are less crowded and 44 per cent feel like it’s not possible to find sustainable travel options in cities or other popular tourist destinations. This indicates an opportunity for travel platforms to work with accommodation providers in these destinations to help them progress on their sustainability journeys and in turn to highlight more sustainable options, as well as to help consumers discover alternate times and places to take their trips, without sacrificing on experience.

Connection to culture and local communities
A regenerative philosophy is influencing decision-making, with 56 per cent Indian travellers saying they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived and 69 per cent Indian travellers wanting to have experiences that are representative of the local culture. In fact, 35 per cent say they have actively familiarized themselves with the local cultural values and traditions at their travel destination in advance of their trips and 39 per cent would be willing to pay more for travel activities to ensure they are giving back to local communities. 

Tipping point for transportation
Indian travellers are mindful of how far they travel, how they get there, and how they get around once they’re there. 31 per cent Indian travellers say they chose to travel to a destination closer to home to reduce their carbon footprint and 31 per cent indicated that they researched public transport and/or options to rent a bicycle in their chosen destination. 39 per cent also chose to travel by train instead of the car for longer distances and 43 per cent say they feel ashamed to fly because of its impact on environment. When it comes to booking transportation for their trips, 73 per cent actively look for sustainability information. 

Continuing the journey to more sustainable travel for everyone
With more than 100,000 properties globally now being recognised for their sustainability efforts with a Travel Sustainable badge on Booking.com, the company has also further expanded the number of third-party certifications and labels that automatically qualify accommodations to receive it. 

Booking.com remained carbon-neutral in its operations in 2021 and transitioned to 100 per cent renewable electricity towards the end of 2021, an important step as part of the company’s contribution to Booking Holdings’ recently released Climate Action Plan. The first of its kind for any global online travel company, its Climate Action Plan functions as a strategic framework for how Booking Holdings intends to make its operations, services and the travel industry more sustainable. In line with the definitions and measurements established by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the Climate Action Plan includes ambitious targets that aim to help the company achieve a 95 per cent reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of 2030, 50 per cent reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2040.