Survey Shows Hotel Guests Want Luxury AND Sustainability, Not Just One or the Other

Two new surveys show a strong link between sustainability and luxury in traveler hotel desires.

Booking.com recently released a study comparing the environmentally friendly habits of travelers for the past two years, showing a large boost in choosing sustainable and luxury lodging.

According to the survey of 32,000 travelers worldwide, 52 percent of travelers are more likely to choose a hotel in 2015 with a higher social or environmental impact. The survey also showed that compared to 2014, travelers this year are three times more likely to choose an environmentally friendly holiday lodging. The survey covered 16 countries and this ratio held true through all of them—only 10 percent of travelers took a sustainable trip last year.

The study also showed a correlation between sustainability and luxury: travelers in 2015 want both and are 50 percent more likely to book a luxury hotel than they were in 2014. A similar study done by Cornell University shows that hotel brands are embracing this trend, as most LEED-certified and sustainable properties in the U.S. are considered upscale or luxury.

Booking.com also ranked the world’s biggest proponents of sustainable travel by country, Skift reports. Brazil topped the list, with 74 percent of respondents looking for an eco-friendly vacation. Australians and Americans, at 59 and 53 percent respectively were also in the top sustainable travelers list. The Danish and Dutch pulled in the bottom of the list with only 36 and 39 percent respectively saying a property’s environmental impact would make a difference in their travels.

[Photo: iStock]