‘Polluted beaches top concern for tourists’

OVER-TOURISM, USE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC, OVER CONSUMPTION OF POWER TOP ISSUES RAISED BY INDIAN TOURISTS: SURVEY

MUMBAI: Governments have the responsibility to help make travel more sustainable, believe as many as 24% of the 18,327 people surveyed for international digital travel agency Agoda’s sustainable travel trends survey. At least 20% respondents said they themselves have to ensure it. The survey found pollution of beaches and waterways, and “over-tourism” in India were the top two concerns among the tourists. Single-use plastics and energy inefficiencies including overconsumption of electricity/water ranked third.

The survey launched to mark World Environment Day on Saturday highlighted that tourists, globally, consider governments most accountable for making positive environmental changes around travel, followed by tourism authorities and individuals. Tourists from Indonesia and the United Kingdom were most likely (36%) to hold governments most accountable followed by those from China (33%), Australia (28%), Malaysia (27), and India (24%).

Managing waste including using less single-use plastics, switching off air conditioners and lights when leaving accommodation, and looking for ecofriendly accommodation were some of the suggestions made by respondents when asked how they will make the post-Covid travel scenario better. “...when asked about what Indians associated the most with sustainability, the top three results were renewable resources (36%), natural cleaning products (32%), and eco-friendly design/furniture (31%),” the survey stated.

Booking.com also came up with their sustainable travel report by conducting a research among a sample of 29,349 respondents across 30 countries and territories. The report stated 94% of Indian travellers think sustainable travel is vital, with 88% saying that the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future.

The survey revealed that 74% Indian travellers want to have authentic experiences that are representative of local cultures when they travel while 91% of them believe increasing cultural understanding and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial.

John Brown, chief executive officer of Agoda, said another thing that is clear is that while globally the message is governments need to take the lead on managing sustainable travel, there is recognition that some responsibility lies with people’s own behaviour. “This past year at Agoda, we have seen a shift in travel patterns as people, limited to domestic travel, explore lesser-known areas. If managed well, not only does this help support independent hoteliers and accommodation providers that rely economically on tourist dollars, but it can also help lessen the environmental burden.”

Ritu Mehrotra, regional manager, South Asia, Booking.com said, “Over the six years we’ve been conducting this research, it’s been inspiring to see awareness of the importance of sustainable travel grow, both with customers and our partners.”