The Rise of Sustainable Travelling: The Case Against Environmental Damage

Travelling pollutes; more than 895 tonnes of CO2 was released into the atmosphere in 2018 due to air travel alone. However, sustainable travelling is on the rise, according to research. More than 70% of travellers in various categories are interested in doing more sustainable action to prevent further pollution to the climate when travelling.

Being sustainable is a popular trend amongst the younger generation. As we are starting to feel the consequences of climate change as a result of unsustainability, more are switching to a sustainable lifestyle to mitigate contributions to environmental damage. GreenMatch.co.uk has looked into research that has been done on the subject to provide an insightful illustration to those who may not know the ins and outs of sustainable travelling. 

What Is Sustainable Travelling?
Sustainability refers to maintaining something at a certain rate or level. When it comes to sustainable traveling, it means to maintain long-term tourism without harming the environment. This can be in the shape of supporting local communities, choosing alternative methods of travelling that pollute the least, and recycling.

The Dangers of Travelling Unsustainably 
Travelling is often associated with carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Certain transportation methods pollute differently. In fact, a single flight from New York City to Los Angeles produces the same amount of carbon emissions as a car would have emitted throughout an entire year. Furthermore, it takes over 200 million cars to produce the same amount of CO2 as a few cruise ships do. 

Attitudes Towards Sustainable Travelling 
According to recent findings, there is a majority who support sustainable travelling. According to a study done by booking.com, as much as 73% are willing to book accommodation that’s environmentally friendly while out travelling. For those who are booking travels through travel agencies, 71% believe that there should be more sustainable offers in terms of trips. 

According to the same study, it was revealed that only 35% of those surveyed did not engage in sustainable travelling, with reasons vary from not knowing how to be more sustainable while travelling, as well as not finding sustainable destinations as appealing. 

Ambition to Adapt to Sustainability 
According to booking.com, 45% of travellers are more likely to convert to sustainable travelling if there are incentives for it, such as tax breaks. In addition, 68% of the travellers would like the money they spent on travelling to go back into the local communities, while over half are willing to alter their behaviour to be more sustainable when travelling, such as using the bike or taking more walks.

To read the full infographic, you can read GreenMatch’s blog post here.

Adel-Alexander Aldilemi
Communications Assistant at GreenMatch.co.uk

Phone: 020 3608 0130
Email: aa@greenmatch.co.uk