Even as the cost of living has continued to skyrocket, a substantial share of travelers are prioritizing sustainable travel features.
Nearly 80 percent of travelers will pay at least 10 percent more for sustainable travel options, according to a new Euromonitor International’s newly released Sustainable Travel Index 2023.
That’s important news at a time when the impacts of global warming are rapidly intensifying and becoming more deadly around the globe. As 2023 has unfolded, the continued ramifications of worsening climate change has been significantly altering travel patterns, the quality of travel experiences, and even the activity options available to travelers in particularly hard hit destinations.
According to Euromonitior International’s report, these realities are not lost on travelers. Some of the additional data highlighted in the report included:
- 41 percent of travelers are prepared to pay more than 30 percent extra for adventure and eco-tourism
- Europe dominates the Sustainable Travel Index 2023 taking the top 17 places.
- Sweden continues to top the chart, with Finland second and Austria third.
- South American destination, Uruguay, has made the top 20 for the first time, moving up 15 places from the previous year.
- Egypt and the Maldives, meanwhile, are the most improved countries over the last five years.
“Egypt has outshone other markets by building resilient tourism, helped by its recovery after travel bans and the pandemic, and driving up average spend per arrival to increase value creation through tourism for the benefit of local communities,” says the report.
The United States, sadly, did not even make the top 20 on the Sustainable Travel Index for 2022.
When considering cities on their own, in terms of sustainability initiatives, Melbourne, Australia tops the chart worldwide in the new report.
“Melbourne stands at the top of the sustainability pillar for Euromonitor’s Top City Destinations Index with an ambitious target to reach net zero emissions by 2040,” says the report.
Melbourne’s sustainability accomplishments, according to the report, include retrofitting buildings to reduce their carbon footprint, transitioning to renewables, greening streets and hosting carbon-neutral events.
The only U.S. city to make the list was Las Vegas, Nevada, which came in eighth place.
The Sustainable Travel Index is based on 56 indicators across seven pillars. They include: Environmental, Social, Economic, Risk, Demand, Transport and Lodgings.