Travellers from the UK are the least serious about sustainable travel, a new study claims.
The research by Accor across seven European countries found that people in Italy and Germany take green travel most seriously, with 81% claiming these factors are important, followed by Spain (78%), Poland (77%), France (75%), the Netherlands (67%) and the UK (63%).
One in five (20%) of the 8,000 travellers polled will avoid areas prone to extreme weather conditions due to climate concerns.
They will also make personal behavioural choices to reduce their negative impacts including carrying re-usable bottles (36%), taking shorter showers to conserve water (35%), choosing locally-sourced and/or seasonal produce in restaurants (32%), as well as opting for independent businesses in local destinations (27%).
Climate change and sustainable options are important to 73% of travellers, including a quarter who say these factors are very important.
But cost represents the single biggest obstacle to consumers making more positive travel choices, with 46% saying that reducing the premium for sustainable options would make them more likely to revise their decisions.
Other factors would include having more sustainable options available (36%); greater transparency around the impact of offerings (34%); and being rewarded for choosing more sustainable options (31%).
Respondents also expressed support for possible governmental actions to encourage greener travel choices, including mirroring Germany’s trial with the reduction of rail fares to cut transport emissions (22%); and banning short-haul flights where more sustainable alternatives are available (16%), such as the domestic short-haul flight ban seen in France.
The majority (90%) said that issues caused by overtourism will have some impact on where or how they choose to travel in 2025.
Almost a third (31%) say they will refrain from travelling in peak season to avoid overcrowding.
One in four (27%) will avoid destinations that suffer from overtourism and more than one in five (22%) will deliberately choose lesser-known spots for their travels.
The report revealed that more than half (53%) of respondents expect to spend more on travel next year than they did in 2024, compared to just 10% who expect a lower travel budget.
The study found that 52% of travellers from the Netherlands and the UK expect to spend more, while only 12% and 10% anticipate reducing their spend, respectively.
Overall, the volume of trips Europeans plan to take in 2025 is also on the rise, with 88% expecting to take at least one overseas leisure trip next year, alongside a significant rise in international and domestic business trips.
While prioritising travel, cost of living pressures still impact travel plans, with 88% of respondents taking at least one measure to reduce expenses as a result of a higher cost of living.
Cost-saving measures include avoiding peak season trips (30%), selecting lower cost accommodation types (23%) and cheaper destinations (22%); as well as behavioural choices such as taking less luggage on flights (13%), having fewer drinks (9%), and skipping starters or desserts at mealtimes (7%).
The report suggests that while the number of travellers planning to travel within Europe is down by six percentage points to 80% compared to a survey last year, travellers intend to go to every other part of the world in greater numbers.
This includes Asia (22%); North and Central America (20%); Africa (13%); South America (12%); and Australia and New Zealand (8%).
Accor Europe and North Africa premium, midscale and economy chief executive Patrick Mendes said: “Our research clearly confirms that travel remains a top priority for Europeans.
“This continued momentum brings significant opportunities but also challenges.
“While travellers increasingly show positive intentions, the industry must work harder and faster to convert these into good choices by providing clear, actionable alternatives and transparent information, while reducing the impact of operations and carefully focusing on sustainable growth.”