Sustainable Travel is on the Rise

Sustainable travel is on the rise, with an increased demand for socially and environmentally driven tours. Research organization Center for Responsible Travel released a report on travel trends and statistics for 2016. The organization qualifies responsible travel as travel that is ethically based. Several categories are considered within this type of travel including ecotourism, ethical tourism, geotourism and sustainable tourism.

The Center for Responsible Travel analyzed results from various studies across the topic of sustainable travel. Key findings include:

• Nature-based tourism accounts for about 20 percent of total international travel.
• From 2009–2012, the adventure tourism market experienced a 65 percent average yearly growth in Europe, North America and South America.
• In 2015, 66 percent of respondents said they would pay more for brands showing a commitment to social and environmental initiatives.
• Between 1997 and 2007, agricultural-based tourism was the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. travel and tourism industry.
• Income from agritourism services nationwide grew from $202 million in 2002 to more than $566 million in 2007.
• An estimated 62 million travelers visit or stay overnight on farms, ranches and wineries each year.
• About 39 million U.S. leisure travelers select a destination based on availability of culinary activities.

Visit the website for a full list of findings.