Three in four travellers (75.4%) say sustainability is important when making travel decisions, and 56.8% now intentionally choose more sustainable options, according to Trip.com Group’s 2026 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report. To make those choices easier to see and act on, Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, is introducing My Travel Impact, a new feature in the Trip.com app that brings travellers’ more sustainable choices across hotels, flights and rail together in one place.
The report, based on a survey of 8,777 respondents across 29 markets in four regions, finds that sustainability is moving from awareness towards action and experience: travellers see more sustainable choices not only as a responsibility, but as a way to enrich a trip.
Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said: “Making travel a positive force for the world it connects is a shared responsibility, and the travel industry has a vital role to play in preserving the places, nature and communities that make travel meaningful for generations to come. At Trip.com Group, we believe every journey can make a difference, and we are working to make sustainability part of the travel experience — from lower-carbon transport and certified sustainable stays to helpful information, personalised recommendations and tools such as My Travel Impact.”
As the industry moves to act, the report shows what motivates travellers to choose more sustainable options, what holds them back and what would make those choices easier.
Motivating Action: Making Sustainable Travel More Accessible
Environmental responsibility (52.5%) and preserving destinations for future generations (50.8%) emerged as the leading motivations for making more sustainable travel choices. Nearly half of respondents (44.4%) also cited more authentic travel experiences.
However, higher prices remain the most cited barrier (37.1%), followed by inconvenience or additional effort (29.8%) and difficulty identifying more sustainable options (27.1%). Price (64.1%) and quality and comfort (61.8%) also remain the leading considerations when choosing travel.
My Travel Impact Puts A Traveller’s More Sustainable Choices In One Place
Findings also show a keen demand for tools that help travellers make more informed sustainable travel choices. Clear sustainable labels (41.6%) top the list of what travellers want most from online travel agencies, and 32.7% would like a dashboard showing the carbon impact of their bookings. Sustainability is also shaping where people book: 64.2% say more sustainable travel offerings will influence their choice of platform.
My Travel Impact answers that demand with an overview of the more sustainable choices a traveller has made through Trip.com, drawing on three parts of the journey:
- Hotels: nights stayed at properties carrying Trip.com’s Certified Sustainable label, which is based on recognised third-party certification.
- Flights: estimated emissions avoided from choosing lower-emission flight options, where comparable data is available, using the Travel Impact Model recommended by Travalyst.
- Rail: estimated emissions savings from choosing rail over gasoline cars, where comparable data is available.
By bringing information previously spread across different travel products into one dashboard, My Travel Impact makes travellers’ choices easier to understand.
More Sustainable Travel is Becoming Part of the Experience Itself
Exploring nature and outdoor destinations (41.6%), scenic rail journeys (34.1%) and visiting lesser-known destinations with fewer crowds (32.7%) lead the options travellers say would improve their experience, followed by staying in hotels with strong sustainability practices (31.9%) and travelling off-season (29.6%).
Sustainability also influences destination appeal. Good public transport or lower-carbon mobility (56.0%) and protection of natural and cultural heritage (50.6%) would most increase travellers’ interest in visiting.
Climate Risks Reshape How Travellers Plan
Extreme weather is already changing travel plans: 62.0% of travellers adjusted at least one aspect of a trip because of it, with 29.9% delaying or rescheduling a trip, 23.6% changing the season or timing of travel and 21.9% switching destination.
Younger Travellers Lead the Shift
Gen Z and Millennials show the strongest engagement with more sustainable travel. Nearly seven in ten Gen Z (69.5%) intentionally chose more sustainable travel options, versus 63.0% of Millennials, 50.6% of Gen X and 40.6% of Boomers. More than three-quarters of Gen Z (76.7%) say more sustainable offerings would influence their choice of OTA.
Advancing More Sustainable Travel Through Industry Collaboration
Trip.com Group works with industry partners including GSTC and Travalyst to support credible certification and consistent emissions information, while responsible travel guidance from organisations such as WWF helps inform the practical tips we share with travellers.
Recognising that a more sustainable future for tourism requires industry-wide action, Trip.com Group remains committed to working alongside partners to help protect the destinations, natural environments and communities that make travel possible for generations to come.
View the full report here: Trip.com Group 2026 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report