Expedia Group has announced it has joined Prince Harry's Travalyst Coalition. Created in SEP 2019 by the Duke of Sussex, the Travalyst Coalition sees Expedia joining rivals Booking Holdings, Trip.com Group, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, Google and Visa in its mission of bringing about sustainable travel.
“As Expedia Group moves our sustainability strategy forward, we are committed to taking action to address climate change and working across our industry and with a range of partners to shape a more sustainable travel and tourism sector,” said Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President of Global Social Impact and Sustainability, Expedia Group.
“Travelers are looking for ways to minimize their environmental footprint while traveling, and to make a positive impact on the destinations and communities they visit...By joining these two critical industry collaborations, the Travalyst Coalition and Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism, Expedia Group is aligning our business towards a Net Zero future.”
Expedia adds that it is aligned with the Travalyst Coalition’s goal for the industry to educate travelers about greener choices.
Sally Davey, CEO, Travalyst, says: “We are thrilled to welcome Expedia Group to the Travalyst Coalition. Since its inception, Travalyst’s mission has been to transform travel into a wholly positive industry. Driven by data and the core belief that travel is a force for good, Expedia Group’s commitment, platforms and data will enable Travalyst to help more travelers and travel providers make better choices for themselves and the planet.”
Additionally, Expedia Group has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism, committing to deliver plans aligned with the pathways to support cutting emissions in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.
By becoming a signatory, Expedia Group commits to deliver and begin implementing its climate action plans within 12 months. The Declaration unites travel and tourism behind a common set of pathways for climate action, aligning the sector with global commitments and implementing solutions to the challenges facing businesses and destinations globally.
In support, Expedia Group will:
- Align plans with the five pathways of the Declaration (Measure, Decarbonize, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance) to accelerate and coordinate climate action in tourism
- Report publicly on an annual basis on progress against short- and long-term targets, as well as on actions being taken, and
- Work collaboratively, sharing good practices and solutions, and spread information to encourage additional organizations to become signatories and support one another to reach targets as quickly as possible.
Sustainable Travel Study
Expedia also shared additional insights from a recently released Sustainable Travel study from Expedia Group Media Solutions, which showed a growing interest in sustainable tourism.
The Price of Sustainable Travel
- Nearly 70 per cent of consumers are willing to sacrifice some element of convenience in order to travel more sustainably.
- Nearly 3 in 4 travellers would choose a destination, lodging, or transportation option that supports the local community and culture, even if it was more expensive.
Opportunities in Sustainable Travel
- Half of travellers want to see more sustainability information from destinations, tourism boards, or visitor resource groups.
- Recommendations for locally owned businesses and restaurants and transportation options that have lower environmental impact is the leading type of sustainable travel information consumers want to see when planning a trip.
Conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research, the study included an online survey of 11,000 representative, general population adults ages 18 and over in 11 global markets – Canada, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK, and U.S. – fielded between 11FEB and 06MAR 2022.
For more information, visit the respective web sites of Expedia Group and the Travalyst Coalition.
