‘Sustainable Tourism’ and ‘Green Travel’ have become some buzz words in the tourism industry in recent times. However, these terms are not just fad trends, but a responsibility and a portable lifestyle choice, especially in the current times when the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely hit the world.
The first impression we get when we hear the word ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco-friendly’, particularly on a hospitality and tourism industry level, is that of geothermal powered hotels, companies controlling their carbon footprints, and environment conservation steps taken by the travel industry. Though all this is true, green or sustainable travel has much more to it.
Following a green trend is adjusting our actions to live in close harmony with nature by adopting a sustainable life and habits. Habits that help us in protecting the environment and ensuring environmental growth and stability.
The Green Travel Trend in India
While the outbreak of COVID-19 halted all our travel plans, it has emerged as a blessing in disguise for many tourist spots by offering them a much-needed break from tourists and constant movement of people.
Furthermore, it has been an eye-opening experience that has forced people to analyze the impact of their actions on their surroundings. Since the inception of the pandemic, people their impact on their trips. According to a survey, 70% of Indian travelers want to travel more sustainably in the coming future.
While on the other hand, 78% of Indian travelers expect tourism service providers to offer more sustainable travel options.
Some of the green travel trends that are likely to have a positive impact on the Indian tourism industry are as follows:
• Keeping a check on over-tourism: Over-tourism emerged as one of the most crucial challenges for the tourism industry. The surge of pictures on social media of people traveling to popular tourist destinations only added to the crowd. However, the same social media is now being used by tourism service providers to attract people to less traveled tourist spots.
• Wellness tourism: especially the one located near the popular destination, comes with the potential of pulling people away from overpopulated locations. Such smart measures allow critical tourism revenue to flow in while protecting the locals and their cultures.
• Consumers shifting towards sustainable services: The other impact of green travel visibly noticeable is travelers realizing their responsibility. Tourists are becoming highly aware of the travel industry’s adverse effects on the environment and how they are contributing to the same, resulting in more and more people are consciously gravitating towards sustainable practices while traveling.
• Innovative Solutions: The tourism and hospitality industries are educating and responding to consumers’ demand for sustainable travel. From eliminating plastic to shifting towards green ideas in the airline sector and promoting water-saving practices, tourism and hospitality industry players are incorporating innovative ideas to reduce their environmental impact.
The Road to Transformation: Making ‘Green Travel’ a sustainable reality
Going towards green travel is a bold statement that cannot be expected to happen overnight but is rather a gradual process that is now underway. The Indian tourism industry is one of the biggest and fastest-growing in the world, which further makes an overnight shift to ‘green tourism’ impossible given the magnitude of change that is required. However, to understand or predict the change, it is vital to understand the travelers the industry will see in the coming years.
Millennial travelers are expected to rise to the occasion and act as the leaders of the ‘green travel’ revolution. Besides this, solo, group, and couple travelers below the age of 25 will be the green travel movement’s torchbearers.
The second group that the tourism sector will be banking on to make ‘green travel’ a reality, in the long run, will be the industry leaders who will have to recalibrate their operations and business models. Being able to afford a greener alternative comes at a cost if you choose to operate the conventional way. Once the leaders bring about the change, the adaptation process for the entire industry will be kickstarted.
The third most important segment that is set to bring about a massive transformation is family travelers. Once they adopt greener measures, there will be no turning back. The need of the hour is to start with the small changes to set things in motion.
‘Green Travel’ is certainly not an impossible concept. Young travelers are already beginning to realize the significance of sustainability and with this continuing, the rest of those involved in the industry – be it brands or individuals, will begin to follow in their footsteps, sparking the shift towards ‘green travel’.