Indians Opt For Sustainable Travel With 63% Wanting To Leave Places Better Than When They Arrived

Booking.com recently released its 10th annual Sustainable Travel Report. As part of the latest edition, the digital travel platform explores consumer attitudes and intentions with regard to the social and ecological impact of travel. They found that 59% of Indian travellers are now more aware of the impact their journeys have on both local communities and the environment. Also, 63% of them have expressed a commitment to leaving destinations in a better condition than when they arrived.

Indians Now Prioritising Community-Focussed & Sustainable Travel

With insights from 32,000 travellers in 34 countries, including India, Booking.com’s latest report shows a shift in travellers’ perceptions of what sustainability encompasses. Amid growing discussion of the impact of tourism on destinations, the report found that Indian travellers acknowledge challenges such as congestion and rising living costs. However, they are in favour of community investment, like better infrastructure and environmental conservation, instead of limiting tourist numbers.

This year’s Sustainable Travel Report took a broader approach by asking respondents not only about their travel habits but also about their experiences with incoming tourists in their own localities. This approach sheds light on the benefits and challenges of tourism from their perspective of both travellers and locals. The report reveals that 74% of Indian travellers feel that tourism has a positive impact overall on the place where they live. They did highlight that adjustments are needed so that destinations can grow at a healthy pace and continue to be enjoyed by all.

Despite concerns about traffic congestion, overcrowding, rising cost of living, and littering, only 27% of Indian travellers believe that capping the number of tourists in their home destination is the answer. They, instead, emphasised the need for investment in their communities with improved waste management, transportation, and environmental conservation.

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Mindful Habits That Are Becoming Mainstream

Booking.com observed a noticeable evolution in traveller awareness, preferences and priorities when it comes to the environmental impact of travel. They also noted that travellers now wish to make meaningful contributions to local communities and ecosystems. Practices aimed at reducing waste and conserving energy have become more widespread and increasingly mainstream. They remain the top choices when travellers think of influencing the impact of their trips.

In 2020, 55% of Indian travellers said they turned off the air conditioning/heater in their accommodation when they weren’t there, and by 202,3 this was up to 66%.
This year, travelling more sustainably remains important for most Indian travellers (96%), and a remarkable 99% say they want to make more sustainable travel choices and, to some extent,t have done so.

They are also consciously considering ways to minimise the impact of the destinations they visit. From seeking advice on travel at other times of the year (45%) to visiting alternative destinations to avoid overcrowding (42%), they have become sustainable travellers.

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What are your thoughts on this report? Let us know in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)