Many people say that sustainable travel is more expensive. According to the Suistainable Travel Research Report by Booking.com, 49% of respondents feel that this is the case. My survey also revealed that the sustainable excursion tips in Zug, which I will be presenting in my series, are probably more expensive.
Many people say that sustainable travel is more expensive. According to the Suistainable Travel Research Report by Booking.com, 49% of respondents feel that this is the case. My survey also revealed that the sustainable excursion tips in Zug, which I will be presenting in my series, are probably more expensive.
It definitely seems to be an issue, which is why in this blog article I am exploring the question of whether sustainable travel, especially in Zug, is really more expensive? To find out, I consulted an expert from the Swiss Tourism Federation, Romy Bacher, Head of Sustainability. She is very familiar with the topic of sustainability in tourism and has heard the accusation many times. You can also expect exciting studies.
Initial situation: sustainability awareness among travelers
Booking.com asked travelers about their sustainability awareness in its Suistainable Travel Research Report 2023. A total of 33,000 travelers around the world took part. The following results emerged:
Awareness of sustainable travel
The following infographic shows that a large majority of travelers are aware of the importance and urgency of sustainable travel
Price sensitivity for sustainable travel
However, a not insignificant proportion of travelers are convinced that sustainability must necessarily cost more. However, the willingness to pay for sustainable travel is also relatively high at 43%.
According to Statista, travelers are also rather price-sensitive and only 38% of respondents are actually willing to pay more for sustainability.Further important key figures can be found in the Suistainable Travel Research Report 2023:
- 43% of respondents say they know about sustainability
- 47% of respondents say they would like tips on how to travel more sustainably and still within a reasonable budget
- 49% of respondents want discounts and economic incentives to choose eco-friendly options
- 42% of respondents would be encouraged to travel more sustainably if they received reward points for making more sustainable choices, which they could use for free additional perks or discounts at online travel booking sites.
Sustainability doesn't have to be more expensive
In a brief interview, I asked Romy Bacher, Head of Sustainability at the Swiss Tourism Federation, whether sustainable travel really costs more
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Video not available due to third party cookie restrictions.Our data privacy policy will applyI have transcribed the interview for you below:
No generalization possible
People often think that sustainable travel has to be more expensive, but that's not the case, says Romy Bacher. You can't generalize that. There are cases where the market works in such a way that a flight is cheaper than the same journey by train. Or if I compensate for the cost of a flight, then I have to pay a little more. There are also companies that take a completely different view. You can even offer certain things cheaper if you focus on sustainability yourself.
Best practice examples of cheaper offersFor example, you often have the feeling that when it comes to products in the kitchen and when you use convenience items or bulk packaging and so on, it's actually more expensive than what you would buy from the farmer. But there are also hotels that completely change their breakfast buffet, for example, and then claim the opposite. They are actually almost cheaper now because they no longer have to take certain transport routes etc., whereas before they used less sustainable options.
Conclusion: Sustainable travel does not have to be more expensive per seRomy Bacher goes on to say that it is difficult to say that sustainability per se is always more expensive or more complex. She believes that it always depends on what it actually is. She goes on to say that guests are also prepared to pay a certain amount if they see added value in it. For example, in a hotel where the CO2 levy is already included at CHF 2.00 per night and the hotel has committed to this.
Personal opinion: give more weight to sustainable experiencesIn my opinion, it is much more important to discover the natural and cultural treasures, for example in the canton of Zug, in a sustainable way so that they are still available for future generations. However, at a time when everything is becoming more expensive, I can understand the cost argument. I will therefore include prices in my future excursion tips where possible.New here? Here you can find other exciting articles on the topic of sustainable travel:
- Swisstainable: Discover sustainable experiences in Zug.
- Swisstainable: Sustainable engagement Zugersee Schifffahrt
- Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Theater Casino Zug
- Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Hotel APART AG Rotkreuz
Joel De Buren, 2024