Sustainability is a hot topic in 2025 and the tourism industry is not an exception. A new survey by Booking.com shows how travellers are redefining their understanding of sustainable practices, growing evermore conscious of how their behaviour impacts local communities and the environment.
For the 10th edition of its annual research exploring consumer attitudes and intentions with regard to the social and ecological impact of travel, Booking.com has surveyed 32,000 travellers from 34 countries. The results show that, for the first time since the start of the study, more than half of travellers (53%) are conscious of travel’s impact on communities as well as the environment. Moreover, two-thirds (69%) of those interviewed want to leave places better than when they arrived.
Over the years, Booking.com has noticed a real shift in travellers’ behaviour. While in 2016 only 42 per cent of them believed they travelled more sustainably, by 2025, 93 per cent of travellers say they want to make more sustainable travel choices and to some extent have done so. Habits such as turning off the air conditioning or heater in their accommodation when they weren’t there have become more frequent (67 per cent in 2023) and travellers are consciously considering ways to minimise the impact of the destinations they visit. Travelling at other times of the year (39 per cent) or visiting alternative destinations to avoid overcrowding (36 per cent) are examples of this.
“To ensure that destinations can continue to be enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike, tourism, infrastructure and innovation need to keep pace with travellers’ good intent. As a leader in the travel industry, we want to make it easier for both travellers and partners to feel confident that the choices they make are helping contribute positively to the destinations they visit. That includes surfacing hotels and accommodations with reputable third-party sustainability certifications or providing training and guidance to our accommodation partners, as well as how to best engage with local communities or reduce their usage of natural resources,” says Danielle D’Silva, Director of Sustainability at Booking.com.
Tourism in travellers’ hometowns
This year’s survey proves to be of particular interest since travellers aren’t just asked about their experiences elsewhere but also about how they experience tourism in their hometown. This shows that more than half (57%) find that tourism has had a positive impact on the place where they live, although adjustments are needed in order to keep things liveable for everyone. Traffic congestion (38%), littering (35%), overcrowding (30%), and rising cost of living (29%) seem to be the main problems caused by tourism.
However, this doesn’t mean that a majority of them are in favour of a tourism cap. Only (16%) believe capping the number of tourists in their hometown is a solution. Improved transportation (38%), waste management (37%), and environmental conservation (32%) came out at the top of their suggestion lists instead.
