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Survey reveals attitudes to ethical tourism
More than one in four adults in the UK are prepared to pay more for an ‘ethical holiday’, according to new research by TNS Travel & Tourism, a global market information provider.
The study revealed that 3% of the 2,000 adults questioned were ‘very willing’ to pay a premium, while a further 25% were ‘quite willing’ to pay more.
But when the survey asked which factors influenced the choice of holiday destination, only 38% said ethical tourism was important.
This compared with 85% of people who saw security as an important factor, 78% who mentioned cost and 74% who said climate.
Tom Costley, head of TNS Travel & Tourism, said: “It is interesting to see that more than a quarter of people are prepared to pay for an ethical holiday.
“It points to growing concerns about the environmental effects of mass air travel and the impact which tourism development can have on local communities, both from a physical and a social perspective.
”However, the market for ethical tourism is still young and relatively underdeveloped – only a limited number of travel operators have tapped into this market so far, and with 30% of people still undecided as to whether or not they would pay a premium for ethical travel, there is a big market development opportunity.
“The research does show that consumers are prepared to put their hands in their pockets and, as awareness grows, the market potential for operators is significant.”
The study also found that those aged 25-34 and 35-44 showed both a willingness to pay a premium and a belief in the importance of ethics in determining destination choice, but those aged 16-24 were less swayed by both factors.
People aged 65-plus were the least willing to pay a premium.
Costley added: “Holiday operators and tourist boards need to focus on promoting the ethical holiday experience to those aged 25-44 who will be most receptive to this message.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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