Tourism Breaking News
Booking.com released the 10th edition of its annual Sustainable Travel Report that explores consumer attitudes and intentions with regards to the social and ecological impact of travel.
The report reveals how Indian travellers are leveraging their travel choices to empower local communities and support sustainable tourism.
Highlights:
- 59% of Indian travellers are now conscious of travel’s impact on communities as well as the environment and 63% want to leave places better than when they arrived.
- This year, travelling more sustainably remains important for most Indian travellers (96%) and a remarkable 99% say they want to make more sustainable travel choices
- 74% of Indian travellers feel that tourism has a positive impact overall on the place where they live.
- This year the report explores not just how the travellers feel but how, as residents they perceive the impact of tourism on their communities
With insights from 32,000 travellers in 34 countries, including India and amid growing discussion of the impact of tourism on destinations, the research shows a shift in traveller perceptions of what sustainability encompasses. For the first time, more than half of Indian travellers (59%) are now conscious of travel’s impact on communities as well as the environment and 63% now want to leave places better than when they arrived.
The research takes a community-centric lens this year. Asking respondents not just how they travel but how they also experience inbound visitors where they live, this approach sheds light on the benefits and challenges of tourism from their perspective as both travellers and locals. The report reveals that while 74% of Indian travellers feel that tourism has a positive impact overall on the place where they live, adjustments are needed so that destinations can grow at a healthy pace and continue to be enjoyed by all.
Understanding the needs of local residents
While Indian travellers acknowledge challenges such as congestion and rising living costs, they also favour community investment—such as better infrastructure and environmental conservation—over limiting tourist numbers, reflecting their broader desire for culturally respectful, locally beneficial travel experiences.
- 43% of Indian travellers believe there is the right amount of tourism where they live, as residents they highlight some of the common challenges they face related to tourism including traffic congestion (43%), overcrowding (40%), rising cost of living (36%) and littering (33%).
- Despite these concerns, only a quarter (27%) believe that capping the number of tourists in their home destination is the answer.
Instead, they emphasise the need for investment in their communities with improved waste management (49%), transportation (46%), and environmental conservation (42%) identified as the top types of support they would like to see.
When it comes to visitor behaviour where they live, while there is room for improvement, more than half of Indian travellers share a positive sentiment saying that:
- Tourists they see at home often or always respect local customs and traditions (66%), as well as support local businesses (69%).
- 77% seek authentic experiences representative of local culture and 68% want the money they spend to go back to the local community.
More mindful habits becoming mainstream
Looking back over the decade that Booking.com has been gathering insights on this topic, there has been a noticeable evolution in traveller awareness, preferences and priorities. The focus has moved beyond just environmental impact to also include meaningful contributions to local communities and ecosystems. Many habits related to waste reduction and energy consumption have become increasingly mainstream and remain the top choices when travellers think of influencing the impact of their trips. This year’s research shows that behaviours relating to community and economic impact now sit alongside these environmental choices.
- In 2020, 55% of Indian travellers said they turned off the air conditioning/heater in their accommodation when they were not there and by 2023 this was up to 66%.
- This year, travelling more sustainably remains important for most Indian travellers (96%) and a remarkable 99% say they want to make more sustainable travel choices and to some extent have done so.
- Travellers are consciously considering ways they can minimise the impact of the destinations they visit, whether that is seeking advice on travel at other times of the year (45%) or visiting alternative destinations to avoid overcrowding (42%).
Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Booking.com said, “It is encouraging to see the definition of sustainable travel expanding on both sides of the lens. Travellers are increasingly seeing it not just as an environmental concern, but as something deeply connected to local communities. With nearly two-thirds of Indian travellers wanting to leave the destinations better than they found them, the travel industry has a clear opportunity to support this mindset through infrastructure, guidance and innovation. At Booking.com, we are committed to empowering both our travellers and partners to make sustainable choices more accessible and actionable—whether that is through highlighting accommodations with credible third-party sustainability certifications or providing properties training and guidance to minimise their environmental impact and strengthen local connections.”
