April 19th, 2013 -- There is increasing recognition among both travel professionals and consumers of the importance of responsible travel.
Co-director at the Centre for Responsible Travel (CREST), Dr. Martha Honey, made this point during a presentation titled ‘The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics’ at the 14th annual Sustainable Conference (STC-14).
Dr. Honey cited a CREST Meta-Analysis which has found “strong evidence” that sustainable travel is “good for the economic bottom line.”
She also noted that the tourism sector was embracing responsible tourism not as an option, but as a condition for its continuous growth, pointing to numerous survey findings to support this.
A 2012 Nielson Wire survey, she said, found that 66 per cent of consumers globally prefer to buy products and services from companies that have implemented programmes to give back to society; and in 2011 Conde Nast Traveler found that 93 per cent of readers said travel companies should be responsible for protecting the environment.
A whopping 84 per cent of those in marketing and PR see ‘green’ credentials as increasingly important, according to The Travel Foundation & Forum for the Future; 71 per cent of TripAdvisor members say they plan to make more eco-friendly choices in the coming year, up from 65% last year; while 51per cent of meeting planners will hold meetings only in sustainable venues, JW Marriott Denver found in a 2010 survey, Sr. Honey reported.
STC14 wrapped up at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Port of Spain, Trinidad today.
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