According to travelhorizons , the quarterly consumer survey co-authored by the U.S. Travel Association and Ypartnership you likely won’t pay more for eco-travel. Results of the survey found that while U.S. travelers are now more familiar with sustainable travel terminology than they were just two years they remain unwilling to pay more for eco-friendly travel options. 78% of Americans consider themselves “environmentally conscious” a number that hasn’t changed for two years, but what has changed is that more of these eco-people can define terms like “carbon footprint” and “green travel” now than could in 2007. In spite of people knowing what it means to leave a carbon footprint, only 9% of consumers surveyed said that they would pay more to use travel service suppliers that offer eco-friendly options for travelers. Worse only 3% said that they have purchased a carbon offset when booking travel. Peter Yesawich, chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, notes, “ Although consumers are reluctant to pay more to support green travel service suppliers, they are definitely paying attention to those who are green, even in this down economy… travel service suppliers should therefore continue to adopt green practices that have a minimum impact on consumers’ wallets. ” Other key findings: 54% of individuals believe that they themselves hold the most responsibility for preserving and protecting the environment, not travel service suppliers. 58% of travelers say they believe

that environmental programs by travel service suppliers could have a positive effect on the environment. 51% of consumers will continue to use “green” travel service suppliers even in an economic downturn. 29% say it is easy to for them to learn more about the environmental policies and initiatives of travel service suppliers. In order to make it easier to find green travel options, The U.S. Travel Association, in partnership with American Express, has created Travel Green , a one-stop shop for information on sustainable travel. Personally, I’d pay more for eco-friendly travel. But then I’m used to paying more for organic milk and apples all the time and I think green is worth the cost - although that said, I also don’t believe that green is all that expensive either. It’s more a choice, and one that you can save money on if you play your cards right. Camping, hiking, and traveling close to home are all less expensive ways to travel green. You don’t just travel green by handing over cash to an eco-spa. Coming up, more ways to save money on green travel. [image via stock.xchng]

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Will you pay more for eco-friendly travel?

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