- 59.2 percent would pay more for sustainable travel.
- Higher prices are the top barrier, at 37.1 percent.
- 62 percent changed travel plans because of extreme weather.
THREE IN FOUR travelers, or 75.4 percent, say sustainability is important when choosing how to travel, but only 56.8 percent deliberately choose more sustainable options, a Trip.com Group survey found. Cost, convenience and a lack of clear information are limiting how often that interest turns into bookings.
The company’s “2026 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report” is based on 8,777 respondents in 29 markets across four regions. Trip.com Group released it alongside My Travel Impact, a feature that collects users’ sustainability-related booking information in one dashboard.
“The industry plays a vital role in making sustainable choices accessible and actionable,” said Jane Sun, Trip.com group CEO.Photo credit: Trip.com
“A sustainable future for travel cannot depend on individual travelers alone,” said Jane Sun, Trip.com group CEO. “The industry has a vital role in making more sustainable choices easier to find, understand and act on.”
Environmental responsibility was the leading motivation for sustainable choices, cited by 52.5 percent, followed by preserving destinations for future generations at 50.8 percent and more authentic experiences at 44.4 percent. Higher prices were the top barrier, at 37.1 percent, followed by inconvenience at 29.8 percent and difficulty identifying sustainable options at 27.1 percent.
Price was the top factor in travel decisions overall, at 64.1 percent, followed by quality and comfort at 61.8 percent and convenience at 42.4 percent. Environmental and social impact ranked at 22.1 percent. While 59.2 percent said they would pay a premium for more sustainable travel, 50.6 percent capped it at 10 percent.
Respondents want online travel agencies to make sustainable options easier to find, ranking clear labels and practical tips above carbon-tracking tools. Overall, 64.2 percent said more sustainable offerings would influence their choice of OTA, though only 18.8 percent said strongly.
Weather and age shape choices
Respondents see sustainable choices enhancing travel, with 31.9 percent favouring hotels with strong sustainability practices. Pictured is Hilton’s Home2 Suites, introduced in September as its first zero-operational-emissions prototype for U.S. hotel owners and developers, designed to cut energy costs and carbon emissions.Photo credit: Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Extreme weather has changed travel plans for 62 percent of respondents. Of all respondents, 29.9 percent delayed or rescheduled a trip, 23.6 percent changed its timing, 21.9 percent switched destinations and 14.1 percent paid closer attention to insurance or cancellation policies. In addition, 37.2 percent said a lower risk of weather disruption would raise their interest in a destination.
Respondents also see sustainable choices as a way to improve trips. Exploring nature and the outdoors was cited by 41.6 percent, scenic rail journeys by 34.1 percent, lesser-known, less-crowded destinations by 32.7 percent, hotels with strong sustainability practices by 31.9 percent and off-season travel by 29.6 percent. Only 17.3 percent cited wildlife or nature conservation activities.
Good public transportation or lower-carbon mobility would raise interest in a destination for 56 percent, followed by heritage protection at 50.6 percent, clear sustainability information at 34.9 percent and support for local communities at 27.9 percent.
Younger travelers were more likely to act. Gen Z led at 69.5 percent in choosing sustainable options, followed by millennials at 63 percent, Gen X at 50.6 percent and baby boomers at 40.6 percent. Gen Z was also the most willing to pay a premium, at 69.3 percent, and 76.7 percent said sustainable offerings would influence their OTA choice.
Preferences also differ by age. Millennials (46.7 percent) and Gen Z (44.3 percent) favored nature and outdoor trips, while 39.1 percent of baby boomers cited off-season travel, compared with 26.3 percent of Gen Z and millennials.
Separate booking data from Squaremouth, a U.S. travel insurance marketplace, shows Americans kept traveling in the third quarter, but their spending diverged. Insured trips costing $30,000 or more rose 27.2 percent year over year, while trips under $10,000 fell 2.3 percent, according to Squaremouth’s “Travel Insurance Trends Report: Q3 2026.”
