Key Notes
- Trip.com surveyed 8,777 respondents across 29 markets about sustainable travel attitudes and choices.
- While 75.4% said sustainability matters, 56.8% reported intentionally choosing more sustainable options.
- Nature experiences and scenic rail journeys lead the options respondents believe would enhance their trips.
Nature escapes, scenic train journeys and quieter destinations lead the travel experiences that respondents associate with more sustainable holidays, according to Trip.com Group’s 2026 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report. The appeal is practical as well as environmental: many see these choices as ways to enjoy a better trip.
The full report covers 8,777 respondents across 29 markets in four regions. Some 75.4% said sustainability was important when making travel decisions, while 56.8% said they intentionally chose more sustainable options. That leaves a clear gap between how much the issue matters to respondents and the choices they report making.
Nature and Scenic Rail Lead the Experience Wishlist
Trip.com’s report announcement, released on October 27, identifies five leading options respondents said would enhance their journeys:
- Nature and outdoor destinations: 41.6%.
- Scenic rail journeys: 34.1%.
- Lesser-known destinations with fewer crowds: 32.7%.
- Hotels with strong sustainability practices: 31.9%.
- Off-season travel: 29.6%.
These are reported preferences, rather than a ranking of the environmental performance of individual holidays. An outdoor destination can offer a rewarding experience, but the journey there, accommodation and activities still shape its overall impact.
The interest in nature also connects with changes in travel products. We previously covered Intrepid’s Wild Bush acquisition, which expanded its portfolio of guided walks and wilderness stays. That offers a concrete example of the kinds of experiences available, rather than proof that this survey’s preferences have become bookings.
Price and Convenience Still Shape Decisions
Higher prices were the most frequently cited barrier to more sustainable choices, selected by 37.1% of respondents. Inconvenience or extra effort followed at 29.8%, while 27.1% reported difficulty identifying suitable options.
Across travel choices more broadly, price and quality or comfort remained leading considerations. For a traveler comparing two itineraries, a sustainability claim therefore sits alongside the total cost, connections and experience being offered.
A useful approach is to compare the whole trip: whether rail connections work for the route, what a hotel’s certification actually covers, and whether a different travel week suits both the destination and the activities you want to do. A label is most useful when its meaning and scope are clear.
Weather Risk Is Part of the Planning Picture
Trip.com says 62% of respondents had adjusted at least one aspect of a trip because of extreme weather. Some delayed or rescheduled a journey, while others changed its timing or destination. Good public transport or lower-carbon mobility would increase destination appeal for 56%.
Those answers suggest that practical resilience and ease of getting around belong in the same planning conversation as sustainability. They are self-reported experiences and intentions; the findings do not establish the carbon savings of those changes or predict conditions on a future holiday.
A New Dashboard for Selected Travel Choices
Alongside the research, Trip.com is introducing My Travel Impact in its app. The dashboard brings together certified sustainable hotel stays and estimated emissions savings associated with flight and rail choices, aiming to make information spread across different booking products easier to follow.
The survey gives travelers a useful starting point: choose experiences you value, check the transport and accommodation details, and compare clear evidence behind environmental claims. Nature, rail and quieter seasons can be part of that process, while cost, convenience and destination conditions remain part of the decision.
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