International Booking Website Survey on Environmental Awareness: Only 40% of Guests Willing to Pay More for Green Hotels

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

Earth Day is just one day, but actions to protect the environment and love the planet shouldn’t stop there. A well-known international booking website released a global survey on travelers’ environmental awareness. The results showed that although most travelers prefer eco-friendly hotels, they are not willing to pay extra for them.


▲[Image caption] (Photo by You T-Ru)
The survey was conducted online in March 2014, interviewing a total of 57,000 Agoda.com customers to explore their views on the effectiveness of the travel accommodation industry’s environmental protection efforts. Although 58% of respondents said they were willing to book accommodations that advocate for environmental protection, only 39% were willing to pay more than USD 10 (approximately TWD 300) per night for such stays. Another 17% said they would only pay an extra USD 5 (approximately TWD 150) per night, while 31% of customers were unwilling to pay any extra amount.

As many as 42% of Taiwanese travelers are not interested in staying at eco-friendly hotels. Among the 47% who support the concept, 38% are willing to pay more than USD 5 (approximately TWD 150) per night to stay at environmentally friendly accommodations. However, over 30% of Taiwanese travelers still do not want to spend extra money on bookings even if they support the cause.

Among all respondents surveyed, those from the Netherlands, Denmark, and the UK showed the lowest support for eco-friendly accommodations. Only 35% of Dutch travelers, 35% of Danish travelers, and 38% of British tourists said they would prioritize environmentally friendly stays. Convincing these nationalities to pay more from their wallets is even harder—57% of Dutch, 47% of Danish, and 47% of British travelers said they would not spend an extra cent for eco-friendly accommodations.

Surprisingly, however, the strongest supporters of eco-friendly accommodations come from China. As many as 79% of Chinese travelers said they prioritize environmentally friendly stays. However, their enthusiasm drops when it comes to paying more, with only 35% willing to pay more than USD 5 (approximately TWD 150) per night.