by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:38 PM ET, Tue March 28, 2023
With more than 90 percent of travelers saying they want sustainable travel options and 65 percent actively seeking out environmentally friendly transportation and lodging, the U.S. Travel Association has launched a first-of-its-kind platform to help globetrotters achieve these eco-friendly goals.
The new platform, JourneyToClean, has been designed to assist travelers in making informed decisions for every part of the travel experience-from the planning and booking phase to transportation, lodging, and attractions. It aims to educate consumers about the efforts of many of the industry's key players and what they're already doing to help protect the planet. This includes providing more than 100 examples of sustainable travel practices on the website from a diverse cross-section of more than 50 travel businesses.
"The Travel industry embraces sustainability initiatives and business practices because it is good for the planet AND it's good for business," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement. "Travelers and businesses alike are demanding more sustainable options, and our industry is evolving to meet the needs of travelers now and for the future."
Using Journey to Clean, travelers can have a better understanding of the sustainable options across the travel ecosystem and make decisions that align with their values, Freeman said.
Studies show that addressing climate change and environmental sustainability is particularly important to younger Americans, a strong indicator that the need for sustainable travel options will only grow over time.
To that end, many travel industry companies and businesses have been working to do such things as reduce carbon emissions, conserve resources, reduce waste, and protect natural attractions. The Journey to Clean platform highlights such efforts by dedicating pages to how online booking platforms are working to help travelers to make eco-friendly travel decisions when making planning decisions for instance, and showcasing which airlines have sustainability programs in place.
Green Airplane, symbolizing sustainable travel (photo via ALG Vacations) ((photo via ALG Vacations))On the platform's Lodging & Resorts page, there's information about properties that emphasize sustainable practices, while on the Destinations page, users can read about a handful of destinations across the country that are emphasizing eco-friendly efforts. Similarly, the Traveling page showcases the efforts of airlines when it comes to transitioning to more climate-friendly operations.
Some of the well-known travel companies and businesses featured on Journey to Clean include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Expedia, Google Travel, Hilton, Marriott, Disney Parks & Resorts, and more.
The new platform was created with the help of the U.S. Travel Association's Sustainable Travel Coalition and will be regularly refreshed with new case studies and efforts reflecting industry sustainability actions.
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