WASHINGTON, DC (April 13, 2016) — In recognition of Earth Day (April 22), the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is releasing its Trends & Statistics 2016 report, demonstrating that the growth of responsible tourism continues to outpace growth of the tourism industry as a whole. In addition, the 2016 report concludes that “the social and environmental imperative for responsible travel” is being spurred, in part, by the twin crises of wealth inequality and climate change. “Doing sustainable tourism business in the era of climate change is not just politically correct, it is a comparative advantage,” states to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The new 15-page CREST report, The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2016, updates previous CREST studies released each year since 2013. This latest edition is based on a wide range of recent surveys and reports of consumer and industry demand for responsible travel (and related terms). The 2016 report has been prepared and is being distributed in collaboration with 16 leading organizations and academic programs involved in sustainable tourism, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
“Trends & Statistics is CREST’s most popular and widely used publication and we are pleased that so many organizational colleagues have collaborated in compiling data for the 2016 edition,” states Dr. Martha Honey, CREST’s Executive Director. “The release is timed to coincide with Earth Day as a reminder of both the importance of the global tourism industry and the power of travel, when done responsibility, to protect the environment and benefit host communities.”
As in the past, the report looks at demand for responsible travel in three broad areas: consumers, business, and destinations. According to a 2015 Tourism Cares survey, 55% of respondents reported they have volunteered or contributed financially or in-kind while on vacation and 72% rated their travel giving as “important.” Further, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) concludes that travelers are coming “to expect that Travel & Tourism businesses will become sustainable in the same way they expect free Wi-Fi connectivity in hotels or online check-in for air travel.” And, according to Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, sustainable tourism “is now a fast-moving, extremely dynamic area: those that get it right will thrive; those that don’t will perish.”
In addition, for the first time the 2016 edition of Trends & Statistics looks at the emerging and vibrant niche markets that reflect “the strength and diversity of responsible travel.” The report covers six niche markets: adventure tourism, agritourism, culinary tourism, orange (or cultural) tourism, the sharing economy, and wellness tourism. Adventure tourism, for instance, grew an estimated 65% per year between 2009 and 2012, in Europe and North and South America and it “attracts high value customers, supports local economies, and encourages sustainable practices,” according to a study by the Adventure Tourism Travel Association and the George Washington University.
CREST’s findings coincide with the 6th consecutive year (2009 – 2015) of above-average growth in international tourism and projections of continued growth in 2016. The travel industry contributed nearly 10% of world GDP and accounted for 1 in 11 jobs globally in 2015.
The CREST study is distributed for free in partnership with the collaborating institutions.