Booking.com: 2020 travels bode well for environment
In 2020, Thai travellers will be seeking experiences with lower environmental impact and more trips to second-tier cities, predicts Booking.com.
A full 68% of Thai travellers say they want to play a part in reducing overtourism, while 65% would swap their original destination for a lesser-known but similar alternative if it would leave less of an environmental impact.
The latest survey from Booking.com interviewed 22,000 travellers across 29 markets and used insights from over 180 million verified guest reviews.
Some 79% of Thai tourists would want a service that recommended destinations where tourism would positively impact the local community.
Four out of five Thai travellers say they want technology to offer them surprise options that would introduce them to something new. Over half (64%) say they will use an app to make it easier to book activities while travelling, and 61% plan to use an app that allows them to preplan activities.
Thai travellers say they want to keep the pace of their vacations slow, with 61% saying they plan in 2020 to take slower modes of transport to reduce environmental impact. Three out of four would prefer to take a longer route to experience more of the journey.
A full 75% of Thai travellers don’t mind spending more time travelling to reach their destination if they’re taking a unique mode of transport. Some 73% would be interested in taking a historical train journey, such as on the Flying Scotsman or the Orient Express.
Travellers are also looking for destinations that offer a variety of experiences in a condensed area. Seven in 10 Thai travellers say they want to go on one long trip to a place that has all of their favourite activities and sights close together. Some 77% agree that they would choose a destination that offers all of their favourite activities and sights near each other to save travel time.
They also would like to take their pets with them, with 52% of Thai pet owners agreeing that in the coming year they would choose holiday destinations based on whether they can take their pets, and 52% would be willing to pay more to stay at accommodation that is pet-friendly.