Canadians are increasing their commitment to sustainable tourism, with the number of travelers looking to use an eco-friendly accommodation potentially doubling this year, according to Booking.com.
Fifty four percent of Canadians consider staying in eco-friendly accommodation as “sustainable travel.” For well over a third, it means conserving water by reusing towels and bed sheets (42%) and conserving the environment by reducing use of amenity goods such as shampoo, soap, toothbrush, shaving razor (33%).
When it comes to making luxury adjustments in order to stay somewhere eco-friendly, 94% of Canadian travelers are willing to stay in a property with energy saving lightbulbs, 88% in one with AC/Heating units that only run while you’re in the room and 81% in one with low flow showerheads.
In addition, for nearly three quarters (71%) of Canadians, sustainable considerations also impact their mode of transport when travelling, with 32% saying they would take public transport whenever possible, 38% would try to walk, bike or hike as much as possible and nearly one fifth (18%) would even go as far as flying less to reduce their carbon footprint.
The survey was conducted in March 2017 by Booking.com with the assistance of an international panel provider. The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.