EUROPE: According to new research from Accor, a third of travellers want greater transparency around the impact of sustainable offerings.
The 22-page European Travel 2025, Balancing Growth and Impact report, based on research from 8,000 travellers from seven European countries, found that 36 per cent of travellers wanted more sustainable options available, while 34 per cent wanted greater transparency around the impact of offerings.
Climate change and sustainable options were found as “important” to 73 per cent of travellers and it’s not just travellers who have focussed on sustainability. Accor dedicates a third of the report – pages 7-14 to the responses from travellers on sustainable issues. More on that below.
The research found travel spend is increasing with more than half (53 per cent) of respondents expecting to spend more on travel in 2025 than they did last year, compared with just 10 per cent who expect a lower travel budget.
Overall, the volume of trips Europeans plan to take in 2025 is also on the rise with 88 per cent of travellers saying they expect to take at least one overseas leisure trip next year, alongside a significant uptick in international and domestic business trips.
Travellers in Poland were the most confident about their travel spending power in 2025 with 65 per cent expecting an increased budget compared to just eight per cent expecting a decrease. Respondents from Germany were close behind with 62 per cent versus eight per cent, and Spain (55 per cent versus 12 per cent). 52 per cent of travellers from the Netherlands and the UK also expect to spend more, while only 12 per cent and 10 per cent anticipate reducing their spend, respectively.
Barriers to sustainable travel
With cost representing the single biggest obstacle to consumers making more positive travel choices, 46 per cent of respondents say that reducing the premium for sustainable options would make them more likely to revise their decisions.
Other factors to impact on their sustainable choices include having more sustainable options available (36 per cent); greater transparency around the impact of offerings (34 per cent); and being rewarded for choosing more sustainable options (31 per cent).
Respondents also expressed support for possible governmental actions to encourage greener travel choices, including mirroring Germany’s trial with the reduction of rail fares to cut transport emissions (22 per cent); and banning short-haul flights where more sustainable alternatives are available (16 per cent), such as the domestic short-haul flight ban seen in France.
Sustainable choices
Climate change and sustainable options were found as “important” to 73 per cent of travellers – up from 71 per cent in the previous survey. And 25 per cent say these factors are “very important” (up from 22 per cent).
Travellers in Italy and Germany are the most serious about green travel, with 81 per cent claiming these factors are important, followed by Spain (78 per cent), Poland (77 per cent), France (75 per cent), the Netherlands (67 per cent) and the UK (63 per cent).
Travellers say they will make personal behavioural choices to reduce their negative impacts such as taking re-usable bottles (36 per cent), taking shorter showers to conserve water (35 per cent), choosing locally-sourced and/or seasonal produce in restaurants (32 per cent), as well as opting for independent businesses in the local destinations (27 per cent).
However this behavioural goodwill does not stretch to heated swimming pools and air con, with only 14 per cent saying they would accept a non-heated swimming pool and 12 per cent saying they would be OK with no air-con in their room.
Overtourism
The vast majority of travellers (90 per cent) said that issues caused by overtourism will have some impact on where or how they choose to travel next year. A third (31 per cent) say they will refrain from travelling in peak season to avoid overcrowding.
One in four (27 per cent) will avoid destinations that suffer from overtourism and more than one in five (22 per cent) will deliberately choose lesser-known spots for their travels.
Patrick Mendes, CEO, Premium, Midscale & Economy, Accor Europe & North Africa, said: “Our research clearly confirms that travel remains a top priority for Europeans. This continued momentum brings significant opportunities but also challenges. While travellers increasingly show positive intentions, the industry must work harder and faster to convert these into good choices by providing clear, actionable alternatives and transparent information, while reducing the impact of operations and carefully focusing on sustainable growth.”
With transparency key to what travellers want, can external certification help? Accor is aiming for all of its hotels to receive an external sustainability certification before the end of 2026.
Accor partners with Green Key and Green Globe for sustainability certification
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