The most extensive sustainable travel research from Booking.com to date highlights increasing desire among Vietnamese travelers to make more mindful and conscious choices across the entire travel experience

Key Highlights

• 96% of Vietnamese travelers saying that they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months
• 97% of Vietnamese travelers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, with 72% saying that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices
• 81% of Vietnamese travelers indicate that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before they book
• 75% of Vietnamese travelers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived, with 40% revealing that they chose to travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding
• More than 100,000 properties globally are now being recognized for their sustainability efforts with a Travel Sustainable badge on Booking.com

Booking.com just released its 2022 Sustainable Travel Report with insights gathered from more than 30,000 travelers across 32 countries and territories including Vietnam, highlighting that the impact of their trips remains top of mind, with 96% of Vietnamese travelers saying that they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months – a 8% increase compared to the company’s 2021 data. With 97% of Vietnamese travelers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, 72% of respondents cited that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices. To that end, 79% of Vietnamese travelers say that the sustainability efforts of accommodations and transport providers play a strong role in their property and transport decisions respectively. In fact, 93% of Vietnamese travellers say they would be more likely to choose a sustainable accommodation – whether they were looking specifically for one or not.

In search of more sustainable stays

Awareness and visibility of more sustainable stays continues, with 76% of Vietnamese travelers confirming that they have seen a sustainable accommodation on an online travel site over the past year and 81% indicating that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before they book. Even more encouraging are the 87% of Vietnamese travelers who say that they have actually stayed in a sustainable accommodation over the past year.

Alternative destinations and timing

There is consensus amongst travelers on wanting to avoid busy and over-visited destinations. In fact, when thinking about future trips 48% said they’d be willing to exclusively travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding, and 63% revealed that they would avoid popular tourist destinations and attractions to ensure a more even dispersal of the impact and benefits of their visit.

On the flip side, 49% of Vietnamese travellers struggle to find appealing destinations that are less crowded and 41% feel like it’s not possible to find sustainable travel options in cities or other popular tourist destinations. This indicates an opportunity for travel platforms to work with accommodation providers on their sustainability journeys and in turn to highlight more sustainable options as well as to help consumers discover alternate times and places to take their trips, without sacrificing on experience.

Connection to culture and local communities

A regenerative philosophy is influencing decision-making, with 75% of Vietnamese travelers saying they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived and 77% wanting to have experiences that are representative of the local culture. In fact, almost a half (43%) say they have actively familiarized themselves with the local cultural values and traditions at their travel destination in advance of their trips and one in four (38%) would be willing to pay more for travel activities to ensure they are giving back to local communities.

Continuing the journey to more sustainable travel for everyone

With more than 100,000 properties globally now being recognized for their sustainability efforts with a Travel Sustainable badge on Booking.com, the company has also further expanded the number of third-party certifications and labels that automatically qualify accommodations to receive it.

Booking.com remained carbon-neutral in its operations in 2021 and transitioned to 100% renewable electricity towards the end of 2021, an important step as part of the company’s contribution to Booking Holdings’ recently released Climate Action Plan. The first of its kind for any global online travel company, its Climate Action Plan functions as a strategic framework for how Booking Holdings intends to make its operations, services and the travel industry more sustainable. In line with the definitions and measurements established by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the Climate Action Plan includes ambitious targets that aim to help the company achieve a 95% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of 2030, 50% reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2040.

With increased pressure on our natural resources and the undeniable impact our way of life is having on the  environment, we are 100% committed to leading the industry in charting a more mindful and responsible course for the future of travel” said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com. “We have ambitious goals for what we want to achieve, but together with our partners across the industry and the passion of our innovative employees, we can continue to make it easier for everyone to experience the world in a more mindful and responsible way. We believe that travel is and should remain a powerful force for good, bringing enhanced cultural understanding, socio-economic opportunities for countless communities and the potential to help rejuvenate and protect our planet for the long term.

To download Booking.com’s full 2022 Sustainable Travel Research Report, please visit the Booking.com global media room.

For more details on Booking Holdings’ Climate Action Plan and to view and download the Company’s third annual Sustainability Report, detailing initiatives throughout 2021 to engage responsibly with the world, drive long-term societal value and promote a more sustainable travel industry, please visit: bookingholdings.com/sustainability.