Most parts of the world are now going green and this is beginning to affect the travel industry as well.
Also known as ecotourism, Eco-tourism involves using sustainable practices to reduce the overall carbon footprint connected with travel. Similar to the typical day-to-day life, travel can affect the environment in significant ways, especially when it comes to hotels.
So, what should you expect in 2020 if you enjoy travelling but care more about the world, wildlife, and nature in general?
Flying Less
The flight shaming society is apparently gaining momentum. A recent study by UBS showed that in 2020, 24% of Americans and 16% of Brits would fly less.
Besides, the latest results from Eurostar have shown that most people are using the train for travel, and the trend is likely to continue in 2020. The tour operators who offer train booking tickets rather than flights may strengthen the flight shaming movement.
Off-Season Travel
It’s also predicted that more companies will offer holidays in the off-season to minimise crowding during peak-seasons. The move will help to reduce the challenges that come with over-tourism, which include the impact on infrastructure and the local environment.
Sustainable Accommodation
Consistent with the intentions of travellers to make more sustainable choices, eco-mmodation is becoming more popular. Booking.com surveyed 18,077 respondents from 18 markets and published a report on sustainable travel.
According to the report, 73 per cent of global travellers would like to stay at least once in green or Eco-friendly accommodation in 2020.
According to the research, this trend has been on the rise from 2016 through 2019. Moreover, 70 per cent of global travellers affirm that they would like to stay in a place if they know it’s Eco-friendly.
Social Issues to Influence the Choice of a Destination
The survey that Booking.com carried out showed that travellers will have more concern for the political, social, and environmental aspects of destinations.
Those concerns will determine whether they will visit such places. The research showed that 58 per cent of individuals would not go to some destinations if doing so would negatively affect the inhabitants. Additionally, 49 per cent give priority to social issues when choosing a destination.
Rewilding
Rewilding is a term that’s gaining popularity in the tourism space. It refers to the restoration of rare animal species in tourism premises. Tourism businesses have a duty to play in the restoration of landscapes and reintroduction of endangered or exterminated animal species.
Pro-Nature Restaurant Menus
In what will excite vegans the world over, most hotels feature menus with less dairy and meat. In 2020 and beyond, customers will demand, and hotels will provide, lower meat, lower waste, lower food mile, and more ethical menu.
The menu will include less animal produce, less palm oil, and more food growing solutions and more innovative farming.
Vertical Gardens in Hotels and Guest Houses
Visually attractive green walls or vertical gardens are all the rage in trendy or recently opened restaurants and hotels. This is especially common in cities with limited space.
The gardens are creating a beautiful backdrop for a sustainably designed environment.
In sum, in the new decade of the 2020s, both travellers and travel destinations are becoming more responsible for the environment, wildlife, and nature as a whole.
Featured Image | Capturing the human heart. on Unsplash
