'Conscious travel' emerges as top trend as travellers look to contribute to communities

Conscious travel and tourism are terms favoured by Planeta.com. Simply put, it is travelling with one's conscience and connecting with others in a particular place. ... Conscious travel occurs when we are aware of our individual and collective actions as visitors and locals.

The rise in conscious travel comes as the awareness of climate change increases. People are more aware of the numerous species facing endangerment, the rising sea levels, and most importantly, how our actions are harming our ecological system. Our decisions and lifestyle habits are increasingly important in every aspect of our lives, including travel.

Understandably, a lot of travellers are under the assumption that eco-friendly travel means sacrificing luxury or modern comforts. This is not true. Don't let the term 'conscious travel' scare you into thinking you'll end up in a straw outbuilding, sitting in the center of the outback.

Travellers are more actively focused on enabling positive and empowering experiences for the communities they visit, new research shows.

The rise of the 'conscious traveller' is increasingly presenting an opportunity for travel beyond the beaten track. Travel at the heart of communities is presenting a unique opportunity for the revival of local economies in India, capitalizing on authentic connections between travellers and communities. New research by Economist Impact which surveyed more than 4,500 people across nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region including India found that:

r More than two-thirds of Indians say it's important to them that they're creating a positive impact for locals, with 58 percent saying it's important that they're not contributing to issues such as overtourism.

r More than 60 per cent of people in India are conscious that communities are in need of economic recovery and will factor this into where they travel and how they spend their money.

r An overwhelming 67 per cent of Indians say they'll be more conscious when it comes to familiarising themselves with what's important to the communities they're visiting and how they can make a contribution.

r Almost two-thirds of Indians place importance on using travel as a way to meaningfully connect with communities and culture, with 60 per cent believing it important that they immerse themselves in local communities.

r Over 50 per cent of Indian travellers say that technology-driven solutions can make the tourism industry more inclusive, by enabling a wider range of local stakeholders to benefit economically

The research also highlights how the travel revolution is presenting new opportunities for rural areas, particularly those in emerging economies, as travellers become more open to exploring new ways of travelling and living.

r 69 per cent of travellers are willing to a pay a premium for an experience that supports sustainable tourism practices

r 68 per cent say that they are willing to forego comforts and luxuries on a holiday if their actions can support sustainable tourism outcomes with 64 per cent prepared to avoid holiday destinations that are faced with sustainability challenges

r Moving forward, more than 56 percent of people are planning to engage in more domestic travel than in the past, with the aim of allocating more of their travel budget to destinations within their own country.

The study also examined attitudes towards holistically sustainable travel that encompasses social, economic, cultural, community and environmental aspects. Creating equitable outcomes and income for locals emerged, as well as engaging with new social experiences and meaningful connections, emerged as the top two most important aspects of sustainable travel for those surveyed.

"Following the pandemic, travellers are thinking more about the implications of their travel choices and decisions", said Pratima Singh, Senior Manager for Policy and Insights at Economist Impact. "As demonstrated by our survey findings, we're seeing a trend where people are attempting to make their travel decisions more sustainable - economically, culturally and environmentally - and hoping to have a more positive impact by benefiting local communities."

Commenting on these trends, Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager - Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said, "People are increasingly becoming more thoughtful and deliberate about the ways they can use travel to make a positive contribution to the communities they are visiting. We're seeing the rise of a new form of 'conscious travel' that will benefit communities across India in new ways. In the wake of the disconnection and hardship brought by the pandemic, we are at a crossroads - and, together, we have an opportunity to embrace a positive path forward for tourism in India. Airbnb is committed to working with communities and governments to harness the travel revolution for the benefit of all."