The travel business is one of those industries that is susceptible to trends and whims of consumers and providers that stay on top of those trends are better positioned to capitalize on what’s hot. A major trend within the marketplace is sustainable travel. As environmental concerns continue to be on the forefront of media and consumer’s minds, applying sustainable protocols to a notoriously polluting industry makes logical sense. Behaviours are shifting in that traveling consumers are seeking out sustainable options as a first choice. .A survey in 2023 by Avantio suggested that 78% of respondents were looking at Eco-friendly accommodations when planning travel. Even as a survey, that majority percentage should let providers take note that sustainable travel is a major trend and should be considered when deploying travel products and services. Many travel brands are turning to technology to further sustainable and environmentally friendly initiatives.
Searching for Eco – Friendly Options
The most recent Trends Global Survey suggested that 80% of respondents preferred being able to research and book travel entirely online. Suffice to say the online travel marketplace is here to stay and has become the primary vehicle for travel research and purchases. This gives OTAs and online travel platforms an opportunity to highlight and market sustainable travel options. In a recent update to their travel services platform, Google implemented enhancements that give travel clients the ability to search out sustainable travel providers and services. More specifically, travelers will be able to:
- See alternate travel options with less of an environmental impact
- Locate EV charging stations and rental providers
- See total carbon emissions for flights and get recommendations that may decrease output
Tripadvisor and other large OTAs are employing broad search inputs, allowing travelers to input direct search terms such as ‘sustainable travel’ and ‘Eco-friendly’ to find providers and services that offer those types of options. A sustainable travel demand ramps up, travel providers and platforms are making it easier for environmentally conscious consumers to find appropriate travel products.
The Dirty Transportation Business
Airplanes, buses, trains, cruise ships and most cars burn fossil fuels and are a major contributor to harmful carbon emissions. Providers in this area of the travel business are notorious polluters but companies are recognizing their responsibilities and are adopting high tech strategies to help manage and reduce their carbon footprint. Recent innovations in AI powered technology have created tools that travel businesses can use for sustainability efforts. Operational software can quickly analyze current resource consumption trends and make recommendations to optimize how assets use resources. Resource management can even extend to the carrier’s schedule and create matrices that maximize efficiency and potentially reduce costs and more importantly, environmental impact. Maintaining complex assets such as aircraft and cruise ships is critical in efficient operations and technology can also help manage maintenance schedules as well as monitor crucial environmental control systems for functionality.
Sustainability at the Facilities Level
A study from 2021 suggested that hotels and resorts contributed to about 1% of total global carbon emissions. Accommodation facilities also create a substantial amount of physical trash and plastics that are equally as detrimental to the environment and ocean ecology. Many resort and hotel brands are embracing the sustainable travel movement and are revamping processes and adopting technology to manage and reduce emissions and pollution.
- Inventory control systems can manage and optimize food purchasing to reduce waste
- Networked environmental controls for suites and public areas can give allows for greater control and monitoring while potentially reducing resource usage
- Consumer facing technology within the facility can help educate travelers on positive environmental habits
Hotels, resorts and accommodation providers that have detailed sustainability strategies can tap into this growing market by showcasing eco-friendly initiatives in online listings and future marketing efforts.
Technology Drives Innovation in Sustainable Travel
Robust demand for leisure and business travel is excellent news for the industry but the negative side of travel is that it is one of the most polluting industries. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, global tourism is responsible for 8% of global emissions and traveling consumers are starting to take notice of the environmental impact. The demand for sustainable travel is ramping up as environmentally conscious consumers search out eco – friendly options and services. Online travel agencies and platforms are using technology to highlight sustainable options and are dedicating prime web real estate to the category. Technology can positively impact sustainable travel by fine tuning backend operations to improve efficiency and reduce consumption of resources. Consumer facing technology can be a way to directly inform and educate clients on ways to lower their own environmental impact. As traffic volumes return to pre-pandemic levels, the industry has a responsibility to reduce their environmental footprint and using technology to increase sustainability can mitigate some of those negative impacts as well as opening up new marketing opportunities.
Sources:
https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/air-travel-climate-change/
https://www.travelperk.com/en-ca/blog/online-travel-booking-statistics/
planbe.eco/blog/how-to-calculate-the-carbon-footprint-in-the-hotel-industry/