According to a new poll, most travelers agree that traveling sustainably is important, but many may feel it’s easier said than done.  Travel insurance and assistance services company AIG Travel has released the results of its latest Pulse Poll on sustainable travel, which received more than 1,500 responses from travelers and followers of the brand.
Chief among the findings: Most respondents (52 percent) said it’s important to travel sustainably, but more than one third (35 percent) reported difficulty doing so, with 50 percent of those citing “not knowing how” as the top barrier. This lack of awareness was reflected elsewhere in the survey, with 71 percent of respondents defining sustainable travel as “minimizing environmental impact” despite the World Tourism Organization’s broader definition of the term, which includes economic and social elements.
“International travel is more accessible today than ever before, and with this access comes a responsibility to positively impact the places we visit,” said Jeff Rutledge, CEO of AIG Travel and a Vice Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). “This Pulse Poll is one of many efforts to help us understand potential barriers to sustainable travel, so we may help travelers overcome them. The results suggest a major opportunity for consumer education around this important cause.”
