Whether we’re holidaying across the UK or taking a trip abroad, we always look forward to our short break away from work. However, did you know that holidays were an idea dating back to Ancient Rome and a lot of wealthy Romans took holidays that lasted two years?
Like we mentioned, we can’t wait to travel, and more people are doing than ever before. So much so, the Office for National Statistics reported that in 2017 there were 72.8 million visits overseas by UK residents, showing a 3% increase on the previous year. This figure is only set to increase even further after a survey of 25,000 British travelers found that 11% of respondents would like to travel more in the future.
With our consumer habits changing, holiday trends are shifting too. But what does that actually mean for holidaymakers, local communities and businesses across the globe?
Sustainable Trip Initiatives
When you think of fair trade, you may think of organic coffee — but you can have fair trade holidays too. Holidaymakers can integrate themselves into the communities who are behind the products we frequently buy!
If you’re looking to learn more about traditions in other countries, there is one stand-out initiative call Meet the People Tours. These trips are organised so that the people living and working in these communities are better off as a result. From visiting development projects and having your ideas of developing countries challenged, you’ll truly feel that you’re making a difference from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
Opting for greener measures
We’re still indulging on holidays, but more people are searching for phrases around eco-friendliness in relation to booking a trip abroad. Along with veganism, flexitarianism and other lifestyle choices, these types of holidays have captured the public’s attention and will likely become the norm for future generations who will be more environmentally conscious.
Interestingly, almost 90% of travelers want to travel more sustainably. With such high figures, it’s clear that this is a market more businesses in the hospitality and travel market should be tapping into. You could argue that sustainable travel is subject to a person’s environmental standpoint, and while this is true, the same report also revealed that 46% of people believe sustainable travel is staying in an eco-friendly or green accommodation. There are many reasons why more people are opting for this type of accommodation though. For example, 40% said that they wanted to reduce their environmental impact. On the other hand, 34% said this was to have a locally relevant experience and a further 33% said they wanted to feel good about where they rested.
But these people have been influenced. 60% said that this idea sparked from taking in the natural sights from their previous trips – such as coral and rain forests. Also, 54% said that they had noticed the visible impact tourism had on places that they themselves had visited, while 47% went on to say that their decision was after seeing the positive impact sustainable tourism had on local communities. Furthermore, 32% said they felt guilty about how their holidays impact the environment.
Although people want to intentionally act greener, they also are conscious of the price. As these trips tend to require fine planning and research, they could potentially be more costly than your average trip to Spain. However, 67% of travelers in the report said that they were prepared to spend up to 5% more on their travel to ensure it had a low impact on the environment.
People want to have a new experience when they’re actually booking their trip too. Figures from the same survey found that four in 10 people say that booking sites should offer an eco-friendly filter. Although this doesn’t seem like a step a lot of travel sites are taking, some have began adding pages to represent these trips and advertise them publicly. As well as this, 32% of people call for an international standard that can identify eco-friendly accommodation. If travel companies and hotels acknowledge this growing requirement from travelers now, it could keep them ahead of the competition. Hopefully, 2019 will be the year where we see more sustainable trips!
