Earth Day might have passed, but according to research from Booking.com, consumer awareness of travel's impact on destinations is increasing.
The online travel company’s Travel & Sustainability Report 2025, which gathered opinions from more than 30,000 travelers across 34 countries, paints a more positive picture when it comes to sentiment surrounding the impact of travel.
While in previous reports in 2023 and 2024, many travelers (28%) expressed their fatigue around hearing about climate change and questioned whether their personal actions made a difference, this year's report revealed that sustainability is important for most travelers (84%).
In addition, 93% of travelers say they want to make more sustainable travel choices, which is an increase from last year's report when 75% said they wanted to travel more sustainably.
The 2025 study also revealed that almost 40% of consumers are now factoring in overcrowding when they plan travel, with 39% seeking advice on travel at less busy times of year and 36% opting for alternative destinations.
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Many reports in recent years have highlighted the gap between talk and action when it comes to sustainable travel. For example, only 5-13% of travelers said they wouldn't visit a destination that did not follow sustainable practices, according to Phocuswright Research published in late 2023.
But perhaps the "say-do" gap is beginning to close as technology helps measure carbon footprint more accurately and travel companies look at ways to influence behavior. Large hotel groups, for example, are incentivizing guests to make more sustainable decisions during stays and reduce their impact.
Booking.com dropped its own sustainability program more than a year ago following pressure from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. The online travel company said it would prioritize third-party certification schemes instead.
*An earlier version of this story mistakenly reported on Booking.com's 2024 report. The article has been updated to reflect findings from 2025's report.