With Earth Day 2022 less than a month away, the Vacationer has released the results of their Sustainable Travel Survey 2022. With a previous survey conducted by the site finding that 81% plan to travel this summer, the goal for this survey was to gauge American sentiments when it came to lowering their carbon footprint through travel and accommodation options.
According to the results, nearly 87% of all survey respondents stated that sustainable travel is either somewhat or very important to them. Meanwhile, 81% state that they plan to make more eco-friendly decisions when planning travel, with about 29% stating they’ll do it regardless of whether it inconveniences them. Seven percent have even gone so far as to say that sustainability is the most important factor in how they plan their vacations.
In addition, 78% state that they will pay more for a vacation if it means it will help lower their carbon footprint. The breakdown of those numbers shows that 33% would like to keep the budget under $50, 33% would pay between $50 and $250, and about 12% would pay over $250 to ensure they are engaging in more sustainable vacations.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main demographics driving sustainable travel are younger generations (aged 18-29). According to the vacationer, about 92% of respondents within this age bracket stated that they will pursue sustainable travel plans. Meanwhile, the oldest generation (aged 60 and older) were found the least likely to do so, though the number still sits at an impressive 76% for those seeking sustainable options.
Overall, all numbers have increased as much as 4% over previous years, highlighting the growing awareness and importance Americans are placing on sustainable travel options as the travel industry continues to recover from COVID-19 closures. It also reflects the growing trend throughout commercial real-estate of healthier, greener buildings being sold for more on average.
In total, 1,096 Americans over the age of 18 were polled on March 1. Of those surveyed, 46% were male and 53 % were female. The age breakdown of participants included in this survey was 20% in the range 18-29, 29% in the range 30-44, 25% in the range 45-60, and 24% over 60. This survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of ±3.026%.
