Travellers overestimate sustainable decisions

A Phocuswright report has revealed a disconnect between travellers’ desire to travel sustainably and their actual travel decisions.

The research was presented by Madeline List, Senior Research Analyst at Phocuswright, during the PhocusWright Europe 2024 event. It highlights the issue of overtourism and dispersal strategies, reports traveldailynews.com.

“We designed a survey in a way that consumers weren’t aware they were taking a sustainability survey,” explained List. She added that, although the results clearly showed concerns around overtourism, it didn’t necessarily translate into action.

According to the report, 45% of respondents avoid popular destinations due to their interest in exploring the path less taken. The trend extended to accommodations and attractions, with 32% of respondents avoiding staying in overly developed hotels and guesthouses and 34% shying away from crowded tours and attractions.

However, when it came to travel practices, only 28% of respondents opted to stay in less-frequented areas, and even fewer respondents were able to identify sustainable practices, such as booking time slots at attractions, which reduce overtourism.

The report recommends that stakeholders in the travel industry implement the following strategies to inform travellers and reduce overtourism:

• Shifting focus – Move away from marketing destinations based on existing popularity and promote interest-based travel that celebrates diverse experiences.
• Transparency is key – Provide clear information about visitor levels at popular destinations.
• Dispersal strategies – Equip travellers with knowledge about alternative destinations to consider when seeking less-crowded options.
• Education is essential – Educate travellers about the connection between overtourism and broader sustainability concepts.
• Calculated limits –  Destinations should implement strategic visitor caps to protect their attractions without impacting the local economies.
• Infrastructure matters – Destinations should invest in transportation infrastructure that enables travel to less-visited regions.