Research: There is a huge gap between tourists’ environmental awareness and their actual travel habits

Tourists’ environmental intentions and actual behavior are contradictory

According to the 24th edition of the Holiday Barometer, which examines holiday trends, although people are increasingly aware of environmental issues, they rarely take environmental considerations into account when planning their trips.

A large majority of tourists say they would support sustainable travel practices. Across all regions, at least 80 percent would support local economies, and two-thirds would choose lower-carbon modes of transport or closer destinations to reduce their ecological footprint.

Eight out of ten European travellers would avoid activities that are socially irresponsible or disrespectful of local culture, environment and wildlife. More than 70 percent would be willing to travel out of season and would even choose buses, trains or other local public transport instead of cars or taxis.

However, Europ Assistance research shows that there is a significant gap between travellers’ intentions and their actual actions on environmental issues. While many people express good intentions and a willingness to adopt sustainable travel practices, this often falls short in reality.

Air travel hits 4-year high in Europe and North America

Despite environmental concerns, the most popular modes of transport continue to emit high levels of carbon dioxide. Air travel is on the rise, with half of all travellers in Europe (50%) and North America (52%). In addition, although fewer people travel by car, 48% of Europeans and 47% of North Americans still travel by car. Train travel has also increased in popularity compared to recent years, with more than a fifth of European tourists (22%) and 15% of North Americans using rail to reach their destinations, but this still lags behind the proportion of flights and cars.

According to the Holiday Barometer, environmental protection is taking a back seat when choosing a means of transport, with only a tenth of European travellers considering it a truly important factor. In contrast, comfort is the main consideration, with 57 percent of travelers in Europe and 61 percent in North Asia primarily choosing a particular mode of transport for this reason.