Trends according to TravelZest Report

The top 10 "niche" travel markets tipped to grow over the next five years are:
• Learn-a-skill-in the-sun (eg cooking, surfing, painting, salsa dancing)
• Inner self escapes (eg yoga, meditation, spa)
• Hobbies abroad (eg art, gardens, cycling)
• Festivals & Fiestas (dance, opera, food & wine)
• Eco-lifestyle
• Wildlife & nature tours
• Sports tourism (following teams and playing sport)
• The home-from-home hotel
• Soft and extreme adventure
• Nip/ Tuck tourism

CTC staff report US traveler going GREEN

A TripAdvisor survey of more than 1,000 travellers worldwide has found that 40% take environmentally-friendly tourism into consideration when making travel plans, according to an article by Bev Fearis in TravelMole. The survey also found that 66% believe that environmentally-friendly measures in travel are making a difference.

The survey also reveals nearly 25% believe that air travel should be avoided, whenever possible, to help preserve the environment, while 38% said would pay more to take an eco-friendly flight and 26% would pay a 5-10% premium. However, only 3% have ever purchased carbon credits.

The accommodation sector is also on the green radar: 34% of those surveyed said they would pay more to stay at an environmentally-friendly hotel, while 38% said they had already stayed at an environmentally-friendly property, and 9% would specifically seek out environmentally-friendly establishments.

A second TravelMole article - by David Wilkening - reports on an Orbitz profile of environmentally-friendly destinations that claims 65% of Americans say it would somewhat impact their decision to stay at a hotel if they knew the hotel was using solar or wind energy to supplement the powering of the building, and 63% say they would pay a little more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a "green" hotel.

- CTC staff