Whether we’re holidaying across the UK or taking a trip abroad, we always look forward to our short break away from work. However, did you know that a lot of wealthy Romans took holidays that lasted two years?
We may not have a two-year holiday gap, but we are looking for more holidays abroad. So much so, the Office for National Statistics reported that in 2017 there were 72.8 million visits overseas by UK residents, showing a 3% increase on the previous year. This figure is only set to increase even further after a survey of 25,000 British travelers found that 11% of respondents would like to travel more in the future.
With these change in figures, the hospitality sector must be taking note and as a result, cater to more sustainable getaways. But what does that actually mean for holidaymakers, local communities and businesses across the globe?
What are people saying?
Search volume around sustainable travel queries is continuing to increase which backs up the core interest of travelers around the globe. Along with veganism, flexitarianism and other lifestyle choices, these types of holidays have captured the public’s attention and will likely become the norm for future generations who will be more environmentally conscious!
As well as this, Booking.com’s sustainable travel survey discovered that 87% of travelers around the world want to become more sustainable. With such high figures, it’s clear that this is a market more businesses in the hospitality and travel market should be tapping into. You could argue that sustainable travel is subject to a person’s environmental standpoint, and while this is true, the same report also revealed that 46% of people believe sustainable travel is staying in an eco-friendly or green accommodation.
Travelers opt for green accommodation for a range of reasons. For example, 40% said that they wanted to reduce their environmental impact. On the other hand, 34% said this was to have a locally relevant experience and a further 33% said they wanted to feel good about where they rested — just be sure to have plenty of organic coffee and you’ll be sure to impress!
According to the same survey, the need for sustainability developed from a range of areas. 60% said that this idea sparked from taking in the natural sights from their previous trips – such as coral and rain forests. Also, 54% said that they had noticed the visible impact tourism had on places that they themselves had visited, while 47% went on to say that their decision was after seeing the positive impact sustainable tourism had on local communities. Furthermore, 32% said they felt guilty about how their holidays impact the environment.
People question whether holidays of this type are just as affordable as package deals. As these trips tend to require fine planning and research, they could potentially be more costly than your average trip to Spain. However, 67% of travellers in the report said that they were prepared to spend up to 5% more on their travel to ensure it had a low impact on the environment.
People want to be able to book their trips differently, with better tailoring options. Figures from the same survey found that four in 10 people say that booking sites should offer an eco-friendly filter. Although this doesn’t seem like a step a lot of travel sites are taking, some have began adding pages to represent these trips and advertise them publicly. As well as this, 32% of people call for an international standard that can identify eco-friendly accommodation.
Where are people going?
Fair trade holidays are something that you should be looking at, as you’ll embark on a unique type of journey. Holidaymakers can integrate themselves into the communities who are behind the products we frequently buy!
The Meet the People Tours will take you to some of the world’s most beautiful destinations — think India and Bangladesh. Just like the fair trade products we buy, these trips are organised so that the people living and working in these communities are better off as a result.
You’ll be booking your next tour before you come back to the UK. From visiting development projects and having your ideas of developing countries challenged, you’ll truly feel that you’re making a difference from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
Sources:
https://www.travelex.co.uk/travelex-hub/travel-inspiration/history-of-the-holiday
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2017
https://yearoutgroup.org/gap-year-statistics/
https://www.meetthepeopletours.co.uk/