Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It)

Summary

Sustainability is one of the hottest topics in travel. But buzz does not always directly translate to consumer awareness or buy-in. While travelers often have good intentions, many lack an understanding of what constitutes sustainable travel, where to find reliable information on sustainability measures, and who should be responsible for ensuring future sustainable practices. Further, sustainability considerations rarely exert a major influence over trip decisions, lagging other top-of-mind factors such as cost and convenience. Thankfully, there is ample room for the travel industry to educate and engage consumers regarding sustainable travel, ultimately helping to protect the planet and ensure the health of the industry for years to come.

Phocuswright’s Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It) is part of a comprehensive consumer research study focused on sustainability in the modern travel environment. Specific topics covered include:

• Sustainability awareness on the part of the traveler.
• Defining the belief/behavior disconnect, and discussion of other consumer disconnects.
• Addressing consumer education on sustainability, and highlighting where the market can fill in gaps or meet consumer needs.
• Outlining a range of practical recommendations and initiatives that travel businesses can deploy to better engage consumers and remain competitive.