96% of Vietnamese guests participating in Booking’s survey believe that sustainable tourism plays an important role, 56% feel guilty if their vacation affects the environment.
The 2024 Sustainable Tourism Report published by booking application Booking.com on May 2 showed that 96% of Vietnamese tourists participating in the survey affirmed that sustainable tourism plays an important role in choosing a trip. In addition, 40% of respondents said they “felt tired” of constantly hearing about climate change recently.
The Sustainable Tourism Report is an annual event that has been published by Booking for 9 consecutive years. Survey participants are 18 years old, have traveled at least once in the last 12 months and plan to vacation this year. At the same time, they must be the main decision makers or participate in the process of choosing vacation destinations and experiences. Besides Vietnam, the survey was conducted online with citizens from more than 30 other countries and territories.
Vietnamese tourists visit Cuc Phuong National Park during butterfly season at the end of April. Photo: Tuan Anh
In Vietnam, 94% of Vietnamese tourists want to make sustainable trips in the next 12 months. 56% of respondents feel guilty when choosing travel experiences that negatively affect the environment. 21% decided to only travel in a sustainable way because they believe “this is the right decision”.
However, the survey also showed that 46% of Vietnamese tourists are disappointed when faced with the reality of sustainable tourism such as costs being pushed up compared to conventional tourism, and their contributions have not brought viable results. concern for the environment. A few say they are not really aware of how their actions affect the environment and society.
Travelers also feel that sustainable labeled accommodations are more attractive to them when booking, with 54% of people commenting. However, the number of tourists interested in why a property is rated sustainable decreased by 22% compared to the same period last year. This shows that tourists need simpler, easier and more transparent access to information so they can easily make decisions.
The report shows that a higher proportion of Vietnamese tourists participating in the survey are consciously interested in sustainable tourism and the environmental impact on tourism, but 35% do not believe that climate change is as serious as what is being said. what they hear. 41% feel there is “no need to prioritize sustainability on their precious vacations”. 47% of Vietnamese tourists believe that the damage that humans have caused to the environment over the years cannot be repaired and that their travel choices do not make much of a difference.
When asked about solutions, 80% of Vietnamese respondents hope that the attractions they have visited will be improved after they leave. 43% of travelers believe they have a positive impact on social issues related to the tourism industry. A similar proportion (43%) also believe that the community needs to make efforts and unite to successfully solve economic challenges.
Booking Vietnam Country Director Varun Grover said the survey truly reflected the views, perceptions, and behaviors of travelers as well as potential barriers to sustainable tourism. However, this year’s report recognizes a new problem: fatigue is gradually appearing among tourists when faced with the significant challenge of having to make sustainable travel choices.
Although there are many opinions from Vietnamese customers that environmental damage is irreparable and that individual choices do not make a difference, Varun believes that “unanimity and cooperation can bring about changes.” significant positive change”.