Climate, community and choice

Ninety-one per cent of Indian travellers want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months, with 94 per cent of Indian travellers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, reveals Booking.com's 2022 Sustainable Travel Research Report.

The insights gathered from more than 30,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories, highlighted the impact of their trips remains top of mind, with 68 per cent stating that the recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.

To that end, 64 per cent of Indian travellers say that the sustainability efforts of accommodations and transport providers play a strong role in their property and transport decisions respectively. In fact, 88 per cent of Indian travellers say they would be more likely to choose a sustainable accommodation - whether they were looking specifically for one or not.

In search of more sustainable stays

Awareness and visibility of more sustainable stays continues, with 68 per cent of Indian travellers confirming they have seen a sustainable accommodation on an online travel site over the past year and 69 per cent indicating that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before they book. Even more encouraging are the 80 per cent of Indian travellers who say they have actually stayed in a sustainable accommodation over the past year.

While 97 per cent of Indian travellers intend to stay in a sustainable property at least once in the coming year, there is still more to do to make more sustainable stay options easier to find for everyone. Of those who didn't stay in a sustainable accommodation over the past year, 29 percent said they didn't know they existed. Twenty-eight per cent admit that they don't actively look for the sustainability efforts of a property before they book, but if easily accessible, they say they will review it, which further underlines the importance of making this sustainability information transparent and understandable for a broad audience of travellers.

Alternative destinations and timing

There is consensus amongst travellers on wanting to avoid busy and over-visited destinations. When thinking about future trips, 42 per cent of Indian travellers said they'd be willing to exclusively travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding, and 64 per cent revealed that they would avoid popular tourist destinations and attractions to ensure a more even dispersal of the impact and benefits of their visit. Forty-percent per cent would even be willing to choose an alternative to their preferred destination to help avoid overcrowding.

On the flip side, 55 per cent of Indian travellers struggle to find appealing destinations that are less crowded and 44 per cent feel like it's not possible to find sustainable travel options in cities or other popular tourist destinations. This indicates an opportunity for travel platforms to work with accommodation providers in these destinations to help them progress on their sustainability journeys and in turn to highlight more sustainable options, as well as to help consumers discover alternate times and places to take their trips, without sacrificing on experience.

Connection to culture and local communities

A regenerative philosophy is influencing decision-making, with 56 per cent of Indian travellers saying they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived and 69 per cent Indian travellers wanting to have experiences that are representative of the local culture. In fact, 35 per cent say they have actively familiarised themselves with the local cultural values and traditions at their travel destination in advance of their trips and 39 per cent would be willing to pay more for travel activities to ensure they are giving back to local communities.

Tipping point for transportation

Indian travellers are mindful of how far they travel, how they get there, and how they get around once they're there. Thirty-one per cent Indian travellers say they chose to travel to a destination closer to home to reduce their carbon footprint and 31 per cent indicated that they researched public transport and/or options to rent a bicycle in their chosen destination. Thirty-nine per cent also chose to travel by train instead of the car for longer distances and 43 per cent say they feel ashamed to fly because of its impact on the environment. When it comes to booking transportation for their trips, 73 per cent actively look for sustainability information.