Testing the Waters with Dori: Are We Talking about Sustainability Too Much?

I care about the environment as much as the next person, and I do worry about the future of the planet. As such, I love hearing about all the things that travel companies are doing to help maintain the planet for future generations, whether environmental or in terms of community support. I think it’s great when I’m on a cruise ship that has eliminated all single-use plastics and I have no issue re-using my towel in a hotel for the length of my stay. I was fascinated (and simultaneously grossed out) seeing a food digester in action on a behind-the-scenes tour on Carnival Celebration a couple of years ago. How cool that Carnival will never again dispose of food waste overboard!

It’s vitally important that the travel industry embrace sustainability practices – of all kinds – if we want to be able to continue to visit places around the world, interact with local cultures, and move beyond the small worlds our day-to-day lives take place in.

In the past month and a half, I’ve been to two of the most pristine destinations on the planet – Antarctica and the Arctic – with two of the most sustainably-minded suppliers out there: Lindblad Expeditions and Hurtigruten. It’s inevitable for sustainability to come up in these destinations. When you’re surrounded by so much pristine beauty, the desire to do good and to keep these places pristine, is front of mind.

(In fact, a lecture on climate change during my Lindblad Antarctica cruise was one of the best attended of the sailing.)

All these things – and everything that so many travel companies are doing – is great. And I believe, to some extent, people care.

But, and I hate to say this, I think the travel industry spends too much time talking about it all.

Maybe I’m in the wrong, but nothing gets me rolling my eyes faster than when I’m at an industry conference and sustainability comes up as a talking point, or a consumer press reporter asks a supplier about their sustainability practices.

Why are we taking time to talk about these things at such length?

Yes, they’re important. Yes, the cruise industry and the hotel industry and the packaged tour industry needs to work together to create best practices. And, yes, individual suppliers should become B Corp certified.

Because it’s the right thing to do. Not because guests care. And if guests don’t care, why are we talking about it so much?

I said above: to some extent people care. People certainly say they care. But experience has taught me, time and time again, they don’t care enough to read an article on everything the cruise or hotel or tour industries are doing to be greener.

And, they don’t care enough to make buying decisions based on these practices.

Anecdotally, I hear this all the time from travel advisors. At our Travel Market Place conferences in Canada, we’ve asked the audience how often they hear from clients about sustainable travel providers. The percentage of advisors who have gotten any questions at all number in the single digits.

A recent report from Phocuswright, a travel market research firm, backs up the anecdotal evidence. The report, which compared what travelers say they care about with their actual purchasing behavior, clearly showed that sustainability barely ranks as a factor when choosing a hotel or even a destination.

For instance, 48% of U.S. travelers surveyed responded yes to “I am more likely to choose lodging based on its environmental friendliness than for price.”

Sounds great, right? If that’s the case, of course, hoteliers, tour operators, and cruise companies want to be talking about all the sustainable practices they’re implementing.

But … when asked what factors influence their choice when choosing between properties of similar price, location, and comfort only 8% ranked sustainability in the top five. Only 8%.

Also, according to the report, “sustainability trails behind other factors in influencing choice of in-destination activities.” Instead, the two leading selection criteria for tours and activities are opportunities for relaxation, and to see or experience something beautiful. 

Oh, but the younger generation, some people say. They’re the ones that care.

TMR reported on a study by StudentUniverse, a Flight Centre Travel Group Company, back in April 2023 that showed just the opposite. Only 15% of student travelers (ages 18 to 25) from the U.S. and 17% from Canada are worried about their own impact on the environment when traveling.

What is important to them when making travel decisions? Money.

Quelle surprise.

I’d also add that the overall experience is equally important. Not only do most travelers not want to spend more to be sustainable. Most don’t want to sacrifice their own comfort either.

With all that said, why does the industry spend so much time talking about sustainability at conferences? Why do suppliers feel the need to go in-depth into all the sustainability practices they’re implementing?

Do you feel you need to know these things to sell their products more successfully? Do you share any of that information with clients? Would you rather spend your time learning something else from these suppliers?

Let me know if I’m totally off-base. Do your clients care about sustainability or is the industry spending too much time talking about it? Email me at dsaltzman@travelmarketreport.com and let me know your thoughts.