Agoda Sustainable Travel Trends Survey Reveals People’s Top Concerns about Tourism’s Impact, and Measures to Make Travel More Sustainable

The findings from the Survey launched at present to mark World Atmosphere Day 2021 (5 June) additionally revealed globally that overtourism, and air pollution of seashores and waterways are the highest two considerations of the affect of tourism, with deforestation and power inefficiencies (together with overconsumption of electrical energy/water) rating joint third.

Governments thought-about most accountable for making adjustments to make journey extra sustainable

Globally, the general public considers Governments most accountable for making optimistic environmental adjustments round journey, adopted by tourism authorities and people themselves. When it got here to holding governments most accountable, these in Indonesia and UK had been more than likely to take action (36%), Mainland China adopted not too far behind at 33%, with Australia and Malaysia in fourth and fifth spot (28% and 27% respectively). The markets more than likely to quote themselves or people as most liable for making adjustments to touring sustainably had been Thailand (30%), Japan (29%) and the US (28%). In the meantime, Mainland China (11%), the UK (13%), and Vietnam (14%) had been least more likely to attribute accountability to the person.

When requested what they might pledge to do higher in a put up COVID journey state of affairs, the highest responses globally had been #1 handle their waste together with utilizing much less single-use plastics, #2 change off the aircon and lights when leaving their lodging, and #3 at all times search for eco-friendly lodging. Curiously, regardless of overtourism being the most important concern, going to lesser-known locations solely ranked seventh of out of 10 as a pledge to do higher.

No ‘one measurement suits all for’ sustainability

The highest practices most related to environmentally pleasant or sustainable journey are #1 renewable power and assets like photo voltaic, wind, hydroelectric and water, #2 no single-use plastics, joint quantity #3 animal conservation and making a smaller carbon footprint.

Different power saving options comparable to key playing cards or movement sensors, utilizing pure cleansing merchandise are the opposite key practices. Curiously, shopping for domestically sourced merchandise, reusing bedding or towels throughout vacation stays and visiting off-the-beaten monitor locations are the underside three practices out of 10 related to sustainable journey.

“We will see from the Agoda Sustainable Journey Tendencies Survey that the messages of taking easy steps comparable to switching off lights and air-con when leaving the room or decreasing waste by minimizing use of single-use plastics are being embraced by the general public throughout the globe. What can be clear is that whereas globally the message is Governments have to take the lead on managing sustainable journey, there’s recognition that some accountability lies with individuals’s personal habits,” explains John Brown, CEO Agoda.

“Whereas there are completely different interpretations of what practices are eco-friendly or sustainable, many of the public are eager to have the ability to do their half, by actively pledging to decide on eco-friendly properties or make smarter environmental decisions when touring. One of many best methods to counter considerations about overtourism is to think about touring to off the crushed monitor locations. This previous 12 months at Agoda, we’ve got seen a shift in journey patterns as individuals, restricted to home journey, discover lesser-known areas. If managed effectively, not solely does this assist help unbiased hoteliers and lodging suppliers that rely economically on the vacationer greenback, it may well assist reduce the environmental burden on overcrowded areas.

“As an business, we have to proceed to seek out methods to assist people obtain these targets be it making it simpler to look and discover sustainable properties on Agoda or supporting and inspiring extra companions to make use of key playing cards for energy, use renewable power sources or providing carbon-offsetting choices for journey merchandise.” continued Brown.

COVID negatively impacts attitudes to sustainable journey

The rise in want to journey extra sustainably was most prevalent amongst respondents from South Korea, India and Taiwan, 35%, 31% and 31% respectively. Nevertheless, wanting on the figures globally, whereas 25% have an elevated want to journey extra sustainably this compares with 35% whose want to take action decreased. The markets reporting the most important proportional lower had been Indonesia (56%), Thailand (51%) and the Philippines (50%).

“It is regarding that many individuals see sustainable journey as much less essential at present than they did earlier than COVID-19, however I hope that’s only a short-term impact, pushed by individuals’s thirst to get again on the market and journey any approach they will,” John Brown concluded.

US 

• Extra People are most involved about polluted seashores, adopted by overtoursim, and power inefficiencies.
• People take full accountability, with 28% claiming they themselves are liable for making adjustments round tourism to make touring extra sustainable, adopted by each tourism authorities and Governments tied at 16%
• US prime pledges to journey extra sustainably post-Covid are #1 change off air conditioner and lights when leaving their resort room, #2 reuse resort facilities comparable to towels or bedding and joint #3 buying native or unbiased companies and managing their waste
• Practices which are thought-about most useful to journey sustainably by People are lodging utilizing renewable power or water supply, key playing cards to energy electrical energy in an lodging, and locations that aren’t high-density vacationer spots
• What do they affiliate with sustainable journey? Use of renewable power 36%, power saving 26%, no single use plastics and shopping for native each tie at 25%
• The extra measures to assist make journey extra sustainable based on People are simple identification of eco-friendly journey choices, limiting use of single-use plastic in airways or lodging, and monetary incentives to lodging suppliers who maximize power effectivity

Diving deep into the info 

On extra measures: 

• Whereas making it obligatory for vacationers to pay a sum for carbon off-setting is chosen by the least as a measure that may very well be applied to make journey extra sustainable, respondents in India had been more than likely to help this idea, versus Mainland China which is the market least possible to take action, adopted by US and Taiwan markets.
• Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Mainland China and Australia are the markets more than likely to recommend monetary incentives for lodging suppliers who maximize power effectivity
• Japan is the market least more likely to advocate extra protected areas to restrict vacationer numbers adopted by South Korea and the US. In the meantime, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia markets are more than likely to
• UK tops the checklist because the market more than likely to help limiting use of single-use plastics in airways or lodging, carefully adopted by Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Mainland China, Taiwan, the US and Japan are least more likely to recommend this measure
• Malaysian, Filipinos and Indonesians are most favorable for simple identification of sustainable or eco-friendly journey choices, comparable to flagging with an environmental tag on a digital journey platform. Whereas nonetheless their primary measure general, US and Japan are the underside two markets for such identification
• Removing of single-use lavatory facilities is most favored by Taiwan, Japan and UK

On accountability for change to make journey extra sustainable: 

• All generations chosen governments as the highest response for who’s most accountable apart from the Silent Gen (these born earlier than 1946), who has the biggest proportion which think about people as most accountable
• Males are marginally extra more likely to cite governments as most accountable (28%), adopted by tourism authorities (21%) and Themselves (20%). An equal portion of ladies maintain authorities and tourism authorities as most accountable (25%), adopted by themselves, (19%).

On Pledges for extra sustainable journey

World High Ten pledges to journey extra sustainably

1. Handle my waste throughout my journey interval (e.g., use much less single-use plastics)
2. Swap the air conditioner and lights off after I depart my room
3. At all times search for eco-friendly lodging
4. Attempt to handle my carbon footprint (e.g., taking most journeys by bus, prepare or boat, or paying for a carbon offset)
5. Do my half to reuse resort facilities comparable to towels or bedding
6. Store native/select unbiased companies
7. Going to lesser-known locations
8. Decide up litter after I go to the seashore
9. Requesting for no toiletries within the room as I can carry my very own
10.  Use reef-friendly merchandise on seashore journeys

• Philippines, Malaysia and India are more than likely of all markets to pledge to search for eco-friendly lodging
• Singapore, UK and Australia are the markets more than likely to pledge to reuse resort facilities comparable to towels and bedding, in comparison with Indonesia, Philippines, Mainland China and Thailand that are the least more likely to
• Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia more than likely to pledge to go to lesser-known locations to journey extra sustainably, with Japan, UK and Taiwan least more likely to
• Whereas managing waste together with utilizing much less single-use plastics is a prime three pledge for all markets, South Korea, Thailand and Philippines are the markets more than likely to pledge this
• Regardless of air pollution of waterways being cited because the quantity two concern for the affect of journey, choosing up litter off seashores ranks solely #8 out of 10 in pledges to journey extra sustainably, with solely 18% pledging to take action
• Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Mainland China are prime markets to pledge to choose up litter when visiting the seashore. Respondents in Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are least more likely to
• Procuring native is at #6 within the pledges with Australia (35%), UK (31%) and US (28%) more than likely to pledge this, and Japan (5%), Mainland China (9%) and Taiwan (11%) least more likely to
• Increased proportion of ladies pledge to handle waste (44% versus 40%) and switched off aircon/lights (44% versus 36%) than males
• Backside 5 pledges globally from final – utilizing reef pleasant merchandise on seashore journeys (14%), requesting no toiletries as can carry my very own (17%), choosing up litter when visiting the seashore (18%) going to lesser-known locations (19%), and buying native (21%)
• Whereas each ladies and men’s prime three pledges are the identical, girls’s prime 4 is rounded out by a pledge to reuse resort facilities, versus males who pledge greater actions comparable to making an attempt to handle carbon footprint of their fourth spot
• Singaporeans usually tend to pledge to change off aircon and lights after they depart the room and reuse facilities, in comparison with different markets
• Philippines (49%), Malaysia (43%) and India (42%) are more than likely to at all times search for eco-friendly lodging after they journey put up COVID-19
• Conversely, public within the UK (14%), Mainland China (17%), US (17%), Japan (18%) and South Korea (18%) are least more likely to search for eco-friendly lodging as a pledge

SOURCE Agoda

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