Indians Interested In Sustainable Tourism Despite Gloomy Outlook

Online travel agency Booking.com has released new findings from a survey which indicate the growing appetite for sustainable tourism by Indian travellers alongside a sense of despair at the damage already done.

The company’s “Sustainable Travel Report 2024” revealed that nearly 62 per cent of Indian travellers said they feel guilty when they make less sustainable travel choices, while 20 per cent of them wanted to travel more sustainably because they believe it's the right thing to do.

However, the report also found that a sense of disillusionment towards making more sustainable travel choices might be counteracting these positive intentions. Just over 52 per cent of respondents felt that the damage already done is irreversible, and that the travel choices they make are not going to change the state of affairs.

In fact, 39 per cent don't believe climate change is as severe as people make it out to be, while 47 per cent felt their time spent travelling is too precious to put sustainability at the top of their decision-making list. Over 53 per cent of travellers believed that being more sustainable in a destination that is not implementing sustainability practises itself feels pointless.

For the first time this year, the report revealed that some travellers don't recognise the importance of being more mindful. Almost 24 per cent of travellers felt travelling more sustainably is important but not a primary consideration when planning or booking a trip.

This is Booking.com's ninth sustainable travel survey. It is based on insights gathered from more than 31,000 travellers across 34 countries and territories, including 1,000 in India.

"This year's new insights show that a sense of weariness could be emerging among travellers, fuelled by the ongoing challenges that they experience to make more sustainable travel choices. We believe working together across the industry [and] simple changes when taken together can start to make a big difference," said Santosh Kumar, Booking.com’s country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.