WTTC and Trip.com Group global traveller report reveals shift towards sustainable travel

21 January, 2023

A fresh study by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Trip.com Group and Deloitte shows a heightened appetite for sustainable tourism amongst consumers, with 69 percent of travelers actively seeking sustainable travel options. In this follow-up report, WTTC joined forces again with Trip.com Group and its major consumer brands Trip.com, Ctrip and Skyscanner, with additional data sourced from Deloitte, to analyze the trends that shaped the travel and tourism sector last year and will continue to do so this year.

The study, “A World in Motion: Shifting Consumer Travel Trends in 2022 and Beyond,” found that sustainability is a key element of the travel agenda, with travelers eager to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable tourism. According to a survey included in the report, three-quarters of travelers are considering traveling more sustainably in the future and nearly 60 percent have chosen more sustainable travel options in the last couple of years.

Another survey also found that around three quarters of high-end travelers are willing to pay extra to make their trips more sustainable. Last year, following more than two years of travel disruption, travelers made clear their wanderlust is very much alive, with a 109 percent 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 percent of travelers planning on spending the same amount or more on international travel than in 2019, with U.S. tourists leading the list as big spenders. But this year is looking even better in terms of travelers’ spend. Despite concerns about inflation and the cost-of-living crisis around the world, nearly a third (31 percent) of travelers said they intend to spend more on international travel this year than in 2022.

Additionally, according to Deloitte’s “Global State of the Consumer Tracker,” last year more than half (53 percent) of global consumers surveyed during the summer said they plan to stay in a hotel over the following three months.

Other findings revealed in the report include:

• 2022 sun and sea package holiday sales are estimated to be up 75 percent compared to the previous year
• Last year during the summer, international arrivals in European sun and beach destinations were just 15 percent below 2019 levels
• According to WTTC’s recent “Cities Economic Impact Research,” in 2022 visits to major cities are expected to see a 58 percent year-on-year increase, less than 14 percent below 2019 levels
• Luxury holidays will prove particularly popular, with sales of luxury hotels expected to reach $92 billion by 2025 (compared to $76 billion in 2019)
• In a survey, nearly 60 percent of travelers said they were either already paying to offset their carbon emissions or considering it if the price was right

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• Avani Hotels aims to Sustainable Tourism
• Amilla Resort recognized as Sustainable Travel Standard in the Maldives
• Booking.com reveals the Trends shaping Sustainable Travel