Global Top Ten pledges to travel more sustainably:
- Manage my waste during my travel period (e.g., use less single-use plastics).
- Switch the air conditioner and lights off when I leave my room.
- Always look for eco-friendly accommodation.
- Try to manage my carbon footprint (e.g., taking most journeys by bus, train or boat, or paying for a carbon offset).
- Do my part to reuse hotel amenities such as towels or bedding.
- Shop local/choose independent businesses.
- Going to lesser-known destinations.
- Pick up litter when I visit the beach.
- Requesting for no toiletries in the room as I can bring my own.
- Use reef-friendly products on beach trips. Studies show that the Philippines, Malaysia and India are most likely of all markets to pledge to look for eco-friendly accommodation.
- Singapore, UK and Australia are the markets most likely to pledge to reuse hotel amenities such as towels and bedding, compared to Indonesia, the Philippines, China, and Thailand which are the least likely to.
- Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia most likely to pledge to go to lesser-known destinations to travel more sustainably, with Japan, UK and Taiwan least likely to.
- While managing waste including using less single-use plastics is a top three pledge for all markets, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines are the markets most likely to pledge this.
- Despite pollution of waterways being cited as the number two concern for the impact of travel, picking up litter off beaches ranks only #8 out of 10 in pledges to travel more sustainably, with only 18% pledging to do so.
- Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China are top markets to pledge to pick up litter when visiting the beach. Respondents in Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are least likely to.
- Shopping local is at #6 in the pledges with Australia (35%), UK (31%) and US (28%) most likely to pledge this, and Japan (5%), China (9%) and Taiwan (11%) least likely to.
- A higher percentage of women pledge to manage waste (44% versus 40%) and switched off aircon/lights (44% versus 36%) than men.
- Bottom five pledges globally from last – using reef-friendly products on beach trips (14%), requesting no toiletries as can bring my own (17%), picking up litter when visiting the beach (18%) going to lesser-known destinations (19%), and shopping local (21%).
- While both women and men’s top three pledges are the same, women’s top four is rounded out by a pledge to reuse hotel amenities, versus men who pledge bigger actions such as trying to manage carbon footprint in their fourth spot.
- Singaporeans are more likely to pledge to switch off aircon and lights when they leave the room and reuse amenities, compared to other markets.
- Philippines (49%), Malaysia (43%) and India (42%) are most likely to always look for eco-friendly accommodation when they travel post-COVID-19.
- Conversely, the public in the UK (14%), China (17%), USA (17%), Japan (18%) and South Korea (18%) are least likely to look for eco-friendly accommodation.
