What are travelers looking for when they look for an eco-friendly accommodation? Is bio-architecture more important than organic food? How important are ecolabels and certifications in their opinion? These are just some of the questions we asked travelers and hotel owners to outline your idea of sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism? Here is what you think
While choosing an ecofriendly accommodation, the conscious traveler thinks that waste recycling is an essential requirement, only slightly more important than local and organic food. On a scale of 1 to 5, the majority chose 5 (very important) for energy saving lights, the elimination of single dose detergents and car-free accessibility.
Those who look for an ecofriendly accommodation are often animal lovers; they would like to bring their pets, but they also want to know if there are any in the lodging and how high the quality of life of these animals is.
Opinions were clear regarding the relationship between the accommodation and its surroundings: travelers want to stay in hotels deeply rooted in their own local landscape and they want to be welcomed by hosts who support the economy of the area and embody its customs. Interviewers have underlined the importance of a kind of sustainability that goes beyond the environment, supporting local economy and society.
Among additional services, the most preferred was the suggestion of green routes around the lodging facility, important for 75% of travelers.
The idea of accommodation owners about sustainable tourism is not very different from that of travelers. For example, both of them think that owning an ecolabel or certification is not very important, what really matters is the actual sustainability of the accommodation.
Among the environmental requirements, the majority of the accommodation owners reckon that waste recycling is essential. Among the principal requirements there are also solar thermal panels for hot water production, energy saving lights and organic food. Accommodations would like to pass on their knowledge about local customs and traditions and welcome the guest in the most authentic way possible.
In the infographic you can find the details about the results of our survey.
And what you think? Does this survey mirror your opinions about sustainable tourism? What else do you need in a responsible travel? Leave us a comment to let us know!
