Travelers Unwilling to Pay More for Green Travel

U.S. travelers are more familiar with sustainable travel terminology than they were two years ago but remain unwilling to pay more for eco-friendly travel options, according to the July travelhorizons, the quarterly consumer survey co-authored by the U.S. Travel Association and Ypartnership.

The percentage of American travelers who consider themselves “environmentally conscious” has not changed since 2007 (78 percent). However, there has been a remarkable increase in the percentage who report familiarity with the term “carbon footprint” (from 12 percent in July 2007 to 54 percent in July 2009).

Awareness of the term “green travel” also improved from 9 percent in July 2007 to 22 percent in July 2009. Despite these increases, only 9 percent of consumers say they are willing to pay more to use travel service suppliers that offer eco-friendly options for travelers, and only 3 percent have purchased a carbon offset when booking travel.

Among consumers who would pay higher rates or fares for eco-friendly options, roughly four in 10 (39 percent) would pay as much as a 5 percent fare or rate premium to an environmentally responsible supplier, and an equal percentage would pay between 5 and 9 percent more.

The U.S. Travel Association, in partnership with American Express, has created http://www.travelgreen.org/ as a one-stop shop for information on sustainable travel. The site features research and case studies on “green” programs from destinations and travel suppliers.