Travel sector mulls green future but tourists reluctant to pay

Tourists around the world and especially in Europe are supportive of more eco-friendly trips but reluctant to carry the extra cost, according to studies and industry executives. In the European Union's economic powerhouse Germany, for example, 24% of travelers believe ecological sustainability is an important criterion when booking a holiday, according to a survey by motor vehicle association ADAC released this month.<br/>But only 5-10% would be willing to pay even a moderate sustainability surcharge, according to the poll of 5,000 people. "The rub is people don't want to necessarily pay more for sustainability," said Charuta Fadnis, head of research and product strategy at travel research company Phocuswright. That has left the industry questioning how to become greener as it faces thin margins and a post-pandemic recovery still hampered by global travel restrictions, like the slow rebound of visas available to Chinese tourists. Carbon offsets have been available on the market for years, with many airlines offering voluntary investment programmes. But the uptake has been limited and there are questions over how effective offsets actually are. Thomas Fowler, the director of sustainability for Irish budget airline Ryanair told Reuters earlier this year that few are willing to pay the few euros needed to take part in their carbon offset programme.<br/>