2010 Green Travel Outlook

For two years now I've been keeping an eye on the world of ecotourism for Green Globetrotter. During that time, several glossy magazines and fresh websites (some that I've written for) heralding the "era of eco" have gone into production... and many of them have ceased production, too. It's a scary world in today's media industry, where our nation's daily newspapers and influential weekly and monthly mags are struggling to stay afloat despite dwindling subscriptions and fewer advertising dollars. One thing, however, remains constant: People want - and need - reliable information more than ever. That includes the goods on green. And it's convenient for me, because newsworthy environmental tidbits just keep cropping up in the travel industry.

So, what's the scoop for 2010? In August of last year, the U.S. Travel Association released a study that revealed a growing understanding of the terms "carbon footprint" (from 12 percent in July 2007 to 54 percent in July 2009) and "green travel" (from 9 percent in July 2007 to 22 percent in July 2009). Regardless of whether you're a believer in offsetting carbon use (and there are certainly skeptics that point to "green travel" as an oxymoron itself), it's a good sign that this terminology is become more widely referred to and understood by everyday travelers, many of whom haven't given much thought to the waste factor of leisure and business travel.

According to Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, consumers are looking for green travel options at the right price. To help them easily locate and learn about offerings, the organization even launched a new site - www.TravelGreen.org - in partnership with American Express. Take a gander, there's good stuff there.

And more recent data compiled in December by TripAdvisor points to an influx in leisure travel in 2010, with 41 percent of U.S. survey respondents saying they'll shell out more money on travel in the New Year. Twenty-two percent of travelers plan to be more eco-conscious in their travel decisions in 2010, and 44 percent will go as far as to book stays at green lodging providers. (Bonus news for hotels with eco policies: 33 percent of potential guests count your policy as a factor when choosing accommodations.)

What does it all mean? Since I first started typing away at this blog, there's been a continued interest in doing good and doing green while we're fulfilling all of those wanderlusting tendencies along the way. As long as new, eco efforts keep popping up, I'll keep notifying you of them. And with all of the forward-thinking steps we've seen taken in 2009, I've got a feeling there's a lot more to come in 2010. Stay tuned!