Green vs Green: Travel decisions based on money or environment

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When it comes to U.S. travelers, green is key. A recent Travel Industry Association survey found that more than half of Americans would prefer consulting tourism industry professionals who are environmentally friendly. But eco-green is trumped by the greenback as just 14 percent of respondents said that they would make their decisions based on eco-consciousness and only 13 percent said they’d be willing to pay higher fares to ensure their selections were environmentally sound.

To the travel industry this means that eco-friendly actions are important, but not enough so to actually sway opinions. The results are a bit confusing because approximately half of the respondents said environmental issues were important to them, but few said they considered the environment as their determining criteria–especially when finances were involved.

For providers this means stressing their environmental friendliness is important and improves their worth in consumer’s eyes, but will not necessarily mean an increase in profits. At the present time, it seems that small changes that do not cost a lot, like hotels letting guests reuse linens, are the most effective solution.

Tags: ecotourism