More than one in four adults in the UK are prepared to pay more for an 'ethical holiday', according to new research by TNS Travel & Tourism, a global market information provider. The study revealed that 3% of the 2,000 adults questioned were 'very willing' to pay a premium, while a further 25% were 'quite willing' to pay more. But when the survey asked which factors influenced the choice of holiday destination, only 38% said ethical tourism was important. This compared with 85% of people who saw security as an important factor, 78% who mentioned cost and 74% who said climate. Tom Costley, head of TNS Travel & Tourism, said: "It is interesting to see that more than a quarter of people are prepared to pay for an ethical holiday. "It points to growing concerns about the environmental effects of mass air travel and the impact which tourism development can have on local communities, both from a physical and a social perspective. "However, the market for ethical tourism is still young and relatively underdeveloped – only a limited number of travel operators have tapped into this market so far, and with 30% of people still undecided as to whether or not they would pay a premium for ethical travel, there is a big market development opportunity. "The research does show that consumers are prepared to put their hands in their pockets and, as awareness grows, the market potential for operators is significant." The study also found that those aged 25-34 and 35-44 showed both a willingness to pay a premium and a belief in the importance of ethics in determining destination choice, but those aged 16-24 were less swayed by both factors. People aged 65-plus were the least willing to pay a premium. Costley added: "Holiday operators and tourist boards need to focus on promoting the ethical holiday experience to those aged 25-44 who will be most receptive to this message."

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USER COMMENTS

Ariane Janer none, EcoBrasil 07 September 2006, 14:48:09 GMT Quality with Sustainability Inside Misconceptions about ethical, responsible, sustainable holidays costing more continue to exist because we should put quality first, quality with sustainability inside. Consumers would be willing to pay more for a product with better quality. But consumers need to include sustainability in their quality standards. I do agree with Justin that costs for well planned sustainable products are lower than for standard products, so the only reason to ask for a higher price is if you offer a better quality or making a very specific contribution ot a conservation or community project. www.pcts.org.br www.sustainabletourismbrazil.org   Andrew Carne Business Travel+Visa Consultant, BP 30 August 2006, 10:37:31 GMT A long way to go... It is a terrific thing that 'ethical tourism' such as sustainable, green and ecotourism is becoming popular, but there is a long, long way to go before the benefits start being noticed. Such efforts as educating tourists to spend more of their tourist $s, £s in local communities to move towards the 'multiplier effect' is a strong characteristc of new-tourism, however, I cannot believe that tourists are anymore wary of the effects of travelling by air. Understandably, people want to arrive at their destination ASAP and that means travelling by air...this will not change and will simply become stronger due to lower air-fares through heightened competition. Hopefully, one day, tourists will think twice before island hopping via plane, but where I think the problem lies is business travel. With modern technology making video-conferencing a day-to-day occurence, and the continued use of email making documents easy to transfer across the globe, business travel simply isn't required as much anymore. Global businesses (who let's face it, have expendable £/$s) should be the ones who face levies and taxes on their air fares, as it is they who continue to fill up planes...especially across Europe and domestically in the US. To save our world we need to first identify who is creating the problems...and surveys like the one in the article above are simply useless without a proper study and follow-up to name and shame the world's worst. Let's see how much global company's spend on air travel...let's put limits on them....let's do something to save the world that we are destroying.. and then people will start to listen.   Justin125 Responsibletravel.com 30 August 2006, 12:23:29 GMT Ethical holidays costing more is a red herring I think the notion that ethical holidays cost more is a red herring. For example, good energy and waste management, hiring a guide from the local community, or sourcing food locally does not cost more. I think the real point is that responsible holidays are more authentic and enjoyable, as well as increasing benefits to local communities and reducing environmental impacts - and that's why sales are growing fast. Justin Francis www.responsibletravel.com