Virtuoso-a leading worldwide network of travel advisors, agencies and preferred partners, specializing in luxury and experiential travel-has just released the results of a recent survey, which investigated post-pandemic travelers' sentiments toward sustainable tourism.
Its findings overwhelmingly indicate that today's discerning travelers have become mindful of their individual place in and impact upon the world. It's a phenomenon that Virtuoso's Vice-Chair and Sustainability Strategist, Jessica Hall Upchurch, has termed "the conscious comeback" of travel as the world begins to reopen in the wake of COVID-19.
Amid the pandemic, the messages being broadcast to the public by various government and health agencies seem to have cultivated an increased awareness and sense of accountability for the broader consequences of our individual actions. This new mindset appears to have awakened people's cognizance, not only of how their actions affect other people and society, but also the planet itself.
"This past year has led to travel's great reset, and one of the positive outcomes has been an awakening in terms of our greater responsibility to each other and to the planet," Hall Upchurch opined. "We've seen the consumer mindset move from basic awareness and a general sentiment of 'someone should do something' to the notion of 'I can and should do something'. This renewed purpose coincides with the recognition of oneness that the pandemic has created, and it's driving people to make different choices on their future travels than perhaps they did just over a year ago."
Below are the results of Virtuoso's survey of consumer sentiment on sustainable travel:
-Eighty-two percent of respondents said that the pandemic has made them want to travel more responsibly in the future, while the other 18 percent said it hasn't.
-When asked which of the three pillars of sustainable travel they felt most connected to, 72 percent of those surveyed answered "All of the above", 10 percent selected "Travel should support local communities and economies", 10 percent chose "Travel should preserve a destination's cultural heritage", five percent opted for "Travel should protect the planet" and only three percent indicated "None of the above".
-Half of those polled said they felt it important to choose a hotel, cruise line, or travel company that has a strong sustainability policy when planning their vacations, 28 percent felt it was somewhat important, 13 percent said it didn't factor into their decisions and nine percent felt they needed more education on the topic in order to answer.
-Asked what they'd be willing to do to help curb overtourism, 76 percent indicated they'd visit a popular destination during off-peak season; 69 percent would agree to choose an alternative, less-touristed destination; 13 percent would pay more to access a popular destination and five percent said they wouldn't do any of the above.
-Lastly, 70 percent of survey participants agreed that traveling sustainably actually enhances their vacation experience, 23 percent weren't sure and just seven percent disagreed with that sentiment.
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