Consumers in favour of sustainable travel – if price is right
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled its latest report today, exploring the critical gap between travellers’ desire for sustainable options and their actual behaviour.
Launched at FITUR 2025, Madrid, the report Bridging the Say-Do Gap: How to Create an Effective Sustainability Strategy by Knowing Your Customers was developed in collaboration with partner YouGov.
The report explores the disconnect between what travellers say about sustainability and the choices they ultimately make.
It provides actionable guidance to tourism businesses on how they can address this gap by offering solutions that make sustainable travel both more accessible and more attractive.
The study surveyed more than 10,000 respondents, and categorised travellers into six consumer segments, ranging from the eco-conscious “Hopeful Worriers” to the disengaged “Climate Change Agnostics”.
Each group comes with unique behaviours, priorities, and barriers to choosing sustainable options.
According to the data, cost and quality remain the dominant priorities, and outweigh sustainability considerations.
Across all consumer segments, more than 50% say cost is the most important factor influencing purchasing decisions.
Around 30% prioritise quality, the study found.
In stark contrast, sustainability is a primary factor for only a small minority, ranging from 11% to 7%, even among the most environmentally conscious groups.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Travellers care about sustainability but when buying travel, cost and quality are king. Customers expect businesses to create affordable sustainable options.”
“By closing the say-do gap, we not only protect the planet but ensure more rewarding experiences for customers and a brighter and more resilient future.”
WTTC’s report offers key recommendations to help the industry bridge this divide.
The report recommends highlighting the economic and personal benefits of sustainable travel, ensuring eco-friendly options are simple and convenient for consumers.
Intrepid Travel prominently labels trip itineraries with their carbon impact and offsets emissions automatically. Iberostar leverages AI technology to reduce food waste in its hotels and prioritises under-utilised fish stocks.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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