New research has found that 68 percent of New Zealanders believe we need to be making sustainable travel choices now to protect future generations, but amid the cost of living crisis, nearly 60 percent of us also think sustainable travel is too expensive.
The report's publishers say its findings point out "a dilemma where people feel potentially forced to choose between cutting costs and making more sustainable travel choices".
The study also found that 49 percent of Kiwis believe there are not enough sustainable travel options out there.
The sustainable travel survey was commissioned in February by Booking.com and included 33,228 travellers from around the world, 504 of whom were from Aotearoa.
Compared with the rest of the world, a greater proportion of New Zealanders believe sustainable travel options cost too much (58 percent compared to 49 percent), but Kiwis are also more likely than the global average to believe the environment will get worse in the next six months (60 percent compared to 49 percent).
The New Zealanders surveyed for the study were indeed a pessimistic bunch, with 79 percent of them believing the cost of living crisis is also set to worsen.
The Booking.com research findings were published the same week as another study that found 36.2 percent of Kiwi parents say they are currently giving up luxuries such as travel and holidays in order to cover normal living costs.
The sustainable travel report found that despite the concern around how expensive environmentally friendly travel is, 64 percent of Kiwis say they want to travel more sustainably.
Regional manager Oceania at Booking.com Todd Lacey said the research "confirms an intersection between the current cost of living concerns and the extreme climate events witnessed in our region, which has led to a greater demand for both more budget and planet-friendly travel options".
"We are listening and together with our partners across the industry, we are examining every part of the trip to not only support our travellers but to also benefit our local Kiwi communities and environments," said Lacey.
"We are committed to making it easier for everyone to experience travel in a more mindful and responsible way, no matter where they are on their sustainability journey. More than 500,000 properties globally are now being recognized for their sustainability efforts with a Travel Sustainable badge, including over 3000 in New Zealand."
