Booking.com Reveals Nine Predictions For The Future of Travel

#6 Impact Awakening

Booking.com expects to see a more eco-conscious mindset in 2021 and beyond as Coronavirus has amped people’s awareness about their impact on the environment and local communities, according to new insights, data and research spanning 20,000 travelers across 28 countries.

“Over half (53%) of global travelers wanting to travel more sustainably in the future. More than two-thirds (69%) expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options and travelers will consequently visit alternative destinations in a bid to avoid traveling during peak season (51%) and overcrowding (48%). This desire also means that 63% will stay away from crowded tourist attractions, indicating that destinations will need to adapt new, smart crowd management measures to appease travelers visiting their country.’

“Travelers believe that the industry must adapt to this sustainable mindset for the long-term by offering more attractive off-season travel packages (46%) and proposing alternative destinations to prevent overcrowding (36%). There are also strong signals for travel operators to be more transparent about how travelers’ money is being used to rebuild a community, paving the way for more regenerative tourism. Two-thirds (67%) of respondents indicate that they want their travel choices to also support the destination’s recovery efforts, and more than half (55%) want to see how their money is going back into the local community.”

Read the full report

Smarter, Kinder, Safer: Booking.com Reveals Nine Predictions For The Future of Travel (October 20, 2020)

Become a Sustainable Accommodation

Increasingly, travelers and fellow travel provider clients are seeking confirmation that sustainability practices are in place.

Sustainability certification (what some call eco-label) is a voluntary, third-party assessment, through an audit, of an accommodation for conformity to a sustainable tourism standard. GSTC does not conduct certification. Certification is conducted by relevant Certification Bodies throughout the world. GSTC accredits those that certify.

Those accommodations certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body can use the GSTC logo along with the Certification Body’s mark.

Learn more about how to become certified as a sustainable accommodation.