This is among the findings by travel service provider Trip.com, which released its inaugural “Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022” on Tuesday in conjunction with World Tourism Day.
Based on a survey of 7,705 respondents across 11 markets in Asia and Europe, the report finds people are increasingly drawn to more sustainable approaches owing to the impact of travel. This sheds light on its implications for the industry and the wider world.
Of those surveyed, 69.3% of Singaporeans and 60.4% in Thailand say they care about the impact of travel on future generations. In Singapore, 16.2% cite the importance of sustainability in improving the travel experience, which is agreed upon by 24.6% of respondents in Thailand.
The definition of “sustainable travel” varies among respondents. A growing proportion of travellers approach the term more holistically, emphasising aspects pertaining to economy, culture, and biodiversity, in addition to the more traditional environmental considerations.
A more diversified understanding of the term is shown in several ways: 39.4% of respondents from Singapore recognise the benefit of supporting local businesses and livelihoods, while 44.7% believe respecting the culture and heritage of local destinations is part and parcel of sustainable travel.
Rising awareness
The pandemic is a key driver of a stronger collective desire to travel sustainably. The report shows that over half of respondents in Singapore (63%) and Thailand (78.5%) pointed to Covid-19 as a catalyst for their increased desire to choose sustainable options. Travel restrictions have enhanced their appreciation for nature and spurred demand for travelling closer to home.
The report also offers insight into how Asian and European travellers understand and practise sustainable travel differently. Notably, 21.3% of Europe-based respondents state they would opt for sustainable travel because “it is trendy”, while the proportion of Asian travellers who take this view is much smaller at 7.1%.
They also differ in their attitudes towards paying a higher price for sustainable options, with 39.1% of European travellers reluctant to pay extra, compared with 29.5% among their Asian counterparts.
Despite these regional disparities, however, it is clear that more and more people are engaging in various forms of sustainable practices. Amid heightened sustainability awareness, more than half (59.2%) demonstrate an inclination to pay a higher price for carbon offsetting to reduce the impact of their travel.
Online agencies have a part to play
Only 20% of respondents say they do not face barriers to sustainable travel, while the rest ostensibly encounter various obstacles.
Inadequate visibility of sustainable options poses a significant hindrance: travellers blame this on the difficulty of accessing information about sustainable-travel products, with 21.6% in Singapore and 39.7% in Thailand reporting a lack of sustainable options.
Meanwhile, 18.3% in Singapore and over half of Thai respondents (50.7%) insist these options are not clearly labelled.
Correspondingly, more than half of Singapore’s (59%) and Thailand’s (57.3%) respondents believe online travel agencies (OTAs) should clearly label sustainable options. Another 53.6% of Singaporean respondents and 43.6% of Thai surveyees called upon OTAs to make it easier to find these options.
Over 70% of respondents from Singapore also suggested that OTAs should 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. Only around 0.5% of Singapore respondents and 7.2% from Thailand are willing to pay more than 10% of the total price for a sustainable option.
Online travel agencies and booking platforms have a significant opportunity to tap into this by showcasing their sustainable-travel credentials and endearing themselves to like-minded users. The report shows that an overwhelming 93% of respondents would consider booking via OTAs that provide sustainable options.