Travellers are aware of the importance of sustainability, but it rarely influences their holiday choice, according to a panel of experts.
Speaking at an event hosted by Travelzoo, a panel discussed the impact of climate change on booking habits
Stuart Baker (second right), senior sales director at marketing research company GWI, said sustainability means different things to different age groups, but there is “big disparity” between outlook and travel choices.
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“There is increased awareness about sustainability and climate change but that hasn’t come through to expectation,” he said.
“Around 65% of over 60s say they recycle everything they can, but less than 20% of them would choose a provider that has sustainability at the front and centre of its ethos, so there’s a big disparity there.
“The younger generation is more aware of those sustainable products but it doesn’t change their booking habits.
“Brain fatigue is coming at people all the time so when they are going on holiday they don’t want to have to think about sustainability.”
Eleanor Scott (second left), partner at PwC, echoed Baker’s thoughts, and challenged the travel industry to “overcome” the notion that it costs more to take a sustainable holiday.
“A few months ago we ran a survey asking people if they consider sustainability issues when they book a holiday and 60% of people said yes which is staggering and a huge increase compared to 18 months ago,” she said.
“However, there’s still a gap between intention and action. I think people care but they are not necessarily acting on it.
“People see it as a trade off and not very many people are willing to pay more for a more sustainable holiday. We need to overcome that mentality over time.”