63+ Sustainable Travel Statistics, Facts, and Trends [2026]

Are you interested in sustainable tourism?

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We’ve compiled the latest sustainable travel statistics, facts, and trends into a concise, comprehensive overview.

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Top Sustainable Travel Statistics

The global sustainable tourism market was valued at $3.56T in 2025 and is forecast to grow from $4.06T in 2026 to about $11.39T by 2034, with an 11.39% CAGR over that period.
The term “sustainable travel” has seen a 108% increase in global searches over the past two years.
Sustainable travel is important to 83% of global travelers.

Sustainable travel is important to 80% of global travelers

Roughly 75% of travelers want to travel in a greener way in the next 12 months.
Approximately 81% of people are willing to modify their travel behavior to minimize their environmental impact.
Over half of travelers (60%) are open to paying more to businesses prioritizing environmental stewardship.
A lack of information and knowledge is the main barrier to sustainable travel for 32% of individuals.
Roughly 70% of employees are unaware of their organization’s green policies for corporate travel.
Almost two-thirds of people (63%) feel booking sites, travel agencies, and tour operators should be required to disclose the carbon footprint of the flights and other travel products they offer.
Approximately 83% of Americans feel guilty about their past travel choices, worrying their trips weren’t environmentally friendly.

General Sustainable Tourism Statistics, Facts, and Trends

Eight in 10 global travelers (80%) prioritize sustainable travel.

Top Countries That Believe in the Importance of Sustainable Travel	Share
India	99%
Philippines	97%
Kenya	96%
Vietnam	96%

Consumers seek sustainable options in various destinations, including major cities/towns (43%), lesser-known cities and towns (34%), and resorts (23%).
Nearly three-quarters of travelers (72%) would opt for a greener flight if offered.
About seven in 10 travelers (67%) report purchasing carbon offsets when booking plane, bus, or train tickets.
Six in 10 people are willing to prioritize eco-friendliness over convenience when making travel decisions.

60% of travelers prioritize eco-friendliness over convenience

Nearly 60% of individuals have stayed at a place with sustainable practices at least once.
For 74% of consumers, choosing a lodging, destination, or transportation option that gives back to the local community and culture is worth the extra cost.
Approximately 70% of tourists are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly accommodations, with a “16–20% more” increase being the most common amount.

Sacrifices Consumers Are Willing to Make to Be More Sustainable	Share
Convenience (i.e., walking vs. using a car)	50%
Comfort (i.e., taking public transport vs. taxi)	49%
Time to travel to a destination(s)	47%
The convenience of lodging (i.e., distance from destination, amenities offered)	47%
Transport time while at or near destination(s)	43%
Comfort of lodging	43%

Visiting destinations during the off-season to avoid overcrowding is a viable option for 42% of travelers.
More than a third of tourists (36%) are willing to reduce their use of single-use plastics.
About 30% of travelers are open to driving rather than flying.
A quarter of consumers (25%) prefer to book trips with eco-friendly hotels and travel companies.
Three in four people are likely to book sustainable travel options in the future.

Reasons to Opt for Sustainable Travel	Share
To care about the impact of traveling and future generations	50.5%
To improve one’s travel experience	26.8%
To follow the trend of traveling sustainably	13.2%
Peer and societal pressure	8.4%

Three in 10 people (30%) are constantly searching for brands that support sustainability.
Nearly half of tourists (43%) plan sightseeing in a way that allows them to use sustainable transportation options (e.g., walking, biking, public transport).
Roughly 43% of travelers prefer small, independent stores.
More than seven in 10 travelers (73%) want their spending to benefit the local community.
If a place had a sustainable certification, 65% would feel better about staying there.
Most travelers (59%) want a filtering option that shows accommodations with sustainable certification during their next booking.
Almost seven in 10 travelers (69%) consciously seek sustainable options, either regularly or occasionally.
Just under 60% of travelers have engaged in sustainable practices in recent years.

Sustainable Steps Taken by Travelers on Vacation (in the Past 12 Months)	Share
Turned off the lights and appliances in the accommodation when they weren’t there	77%
Turned the AC off in the accommodation when they weren’t there	67%
Reused the same towel multiple times	60%
Used their reusable water bottle	55%
Recycled their garbage	45%
Opted out of having their room cleaned daily	40%

Nearly 70% of consumers have skipped a travel destination or transportation option because they doubted the authenticity of their commitment to sustainability.
Around 89% of Americans plan to travel more sustainably in the future.

Main Sustainable Initiatives Travelers Are Willing To Adopt Worldwide	Share
Use a travel mug/water bottle	84%
Eat and shop in places owned by locals	83%
Adopt behaviors that are useful not to waste local resources	80%
Stay in locally-owned accommodation	76%
Avoid activities that aren’t socially responsible or respectful of the environment/the wildlife	74%
Pick accommodations with a green certification	68%
Support local tour companies	63%
Travel to a closer destination to reduce one’s carbon footprint	63%
Bring goods to donate to the local population when visiting underprivileged regions	62%
Switch transportation modes for a lower carbon impact	60%
Participate in a travel offset program to compensate for carbon footprint	59%
Volunteer with NGOs to join community tourism projects	49%

Nearly 74% of travelers expect more sustainable travel options from companies.
About 80% of people have become more aware of responsible tourism thanks to social media.
Almost half of travelers (48%) believe that climate change will impact their travel plans.
Nearly 43% of travelers claim to be well-informed about sustainability, citing social media and news as their primary sources of education on the subject.
News about climate change has influenced more than half of travelers (53%) to make more sustainable choices.
Tourism accounts for approximately 8.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Global accommodations produce over 6.37% of tourism-related greenhouse gas emissions.
62% of global travelers feel like the best version of themselves when they travel sustainably.
67% of travelers report that seeing sustainable practices during trips motivates them to be more sustainable at home.
71% of travelers want to leave destinations better than they found them.
The average tourist uses more than eight times the water of a local resident in some locations.
Approximately 18% of the global annual food waste originates from the hospitality and food service sector.

Blockers and Obstacles for More Sustainable Tourism

A full 70% of consumers find it daunting to start the process of being a sustainable traveler.
Half of travelers believe sustainable travel choices are overpriced.
Nearly half of travelers (48%) find choosing sustainable lodging the most challenging aspect of sustainable travel.
Approximately one in two people (47%) seek advice on how to be a sustainable traveler while staying within budget.
Over half of travelers (51%) believe there need to be more sustainable travel options.

51% of travelers want more sustainable travel options

Nearly 49% of travelers are seeking discounts and other incentives to choose eco-friendly options.
Approximately 42% of travelers would be motivated to travel more sustainably if offered reward points that could be redeemed for discounts or additional perks.
Roughly 44% need help finding sustainable travel choices.
Four in 10 travelers (40%) are unsure where and how to find tours and activities that contribute to the local community.

Consumers’ Need for Information About Sustainable Travel Options

One in three travelers (30%) lack knowledge about sustainable travel options, suggesting a need for clearer communication from tour operators and travel agents.
Seven in 10 people (70%) want to know why certain options are recognized as more sustainable.

Types of Sustainable Travel Information Consumers Want To See During Trip Planning	Share
Recommendations for locally-owned businesses and restaurants at or near a destination	45%
Environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives	45%
Guidance on respectful interaction with local cultures and communities in a travel destination	43%
Accommodation options that have a lower environmental impact	42%
Recommendations for destinations that support indigenous cultures and heritages	42%
Walkable or bikeable destination recommendations	41%
Eco-friendly activity recommendations	41%
Suggestions for destinations that aren’t over-visited	39%
How to pack more sustainably	37%
Info on volunteering with or supporting local organizations at a destination	34%

Travelers prefer to see sustainable travel information through listings and information pages on travel sites (54%).
Two-thirds of travelers (67%) want to receive environmental information during their stay.
Around 66% of consumers seek more information on sustainability from lodging and transportation providers.

Business Travel vs. Sustainability

Approximately 89% of working professionals report that their company has prioritized sustainability.
Roughly 88% of the global business travel sector considers climate change the most critical area for action.

Importance of Hotel Sustainability for Business Travel Buyers Worldwide	Share
Somewhat important	41.5%
Very important	28.6%
Important	23.8%
Not important	3.4%
Crucial (we don’t partner with properties that fail to meet our sustainability criteria)	2.7%

High costs (82%) and a lack of clear information (63%) are the top obstacles that prevent industry professionals from adopting more sustainable business travel management practices.
The travel industry still has a long way to go, with only 14% believing it’s well-advanced on sustainability. Yet, 76% of travel buyers have included or plan to include sustainability goals in their travel policies, indicating progress is being made.

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Sources

Max Woolf

As a Digital PR specialist and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Max has 5+ years of writing experience.
Over the course of his career, Max’s work has garnered significant attention, with features in numerous prominent publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BBC, TechRepublic, Glassdoor, and G2.