(TAN): A major percentage of travellers actively seek sustainable travel options now, a new report by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group, together with Deloitte, found.
In this follow-up report, WTTC joined forces again with global travel service provider, Trip.com Group and its major consumer brands Trip.com, Ctrip and Skyscanner, with additional data sourced from Deloitte, to analyse the trends that shaped the tourism sector last year and will continue to do so over 2023.
The report, “A world in motion: shifting consumer travel trends in 2022 and beyond”, shows that sustainability is a key element of the travel agenda, with travellers eager to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable tourism.
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According to a survey included in the report, three-quarters of travellers are considering travelling more sustainably in the future and nearly 60% have chosen more sustainable travel options in the last couple of years. Another survey also found that around three-quarters of high-end travellers are willing to pay extra to make their trips more sustainable.
Last year, following more than two years of travel disruption, travellers made clear their wanderlust is very much alive, with a 109% increase of international overnight arrivals, compared to 2021.
According to the report, last year consumers were willing to stretch their budget for their holiday plans, with 86% of travellers planning on spending the same amount or more on international travel than in 2019, with US tourists leading the list as big spenders. But 2023 is looking even better in terms of travellers’ spend. Despite concerns about inflation and the cost-of-living crisis around the world, nearly a third (31%) of travellers said they intend to spend more on international travel this year than in 2022.
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Additionally, according to Deloitte’s ‘Global State of the Consumer Tracker’, last year 53% of global consumers surveyed during the summer said they plan to stay in a hotel over the following three months.
WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said: “The demand for travel is now stronger than ever and our report shows that this year we will see a significant bounce back. 2023 is set to be a very strong year for travel & tourism. Sustainability is top of travellers’ agenda, and consumers highlight the value they put on protecting nature and travelling responsibly.”
