The Sustainable Traveler Is More Mainstream Than the Industry Thinks

Travel often pictures the sustainable traveler as part of an earnest tribe that books the eco-lodge and pays a green surcharge. Our evidence strongly suggests this is a misconception. Skift’s research with 74,000 travel consumers in the top 40 outbound markets shows 77% believe travel should benefit communities and the environment, and 24% go further, actively seeking sustainable options and accepting trade-offs to get them.

The 2021 Signal

First, let’s rewind. A 2021 Skift/EarthCheck study found 62% of travelers across 11 surveyed markets were actively seeking out responsible operators, and a third were ready to pay 10% or more for green certification. Saudi and Chinese travelers led this responsible movement with close to 80% taking that approach. Five years on the signal is, if anything, stronger. Today,70% of trave