YouGov: 2 in 5 Aussies would pay more for a sustainable hotel

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Latest YouGov Surveys research has found that more than two in five Australians (42 per cent) would be willing to spend more to stay at an eco-friendly hotel.

These findings were conducted by YouGov in light of a recent announcement that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) extended its partnership with Agoda for a third consecutive year.

The renewal will see the online travel agency donate USD$1 to WWF for every booking on its platform with selected properties in tourist destinations under Agoda’s Eco Deals Programme, which will go towards supporting wildlife conservation efforts in eight Southeast Asian countries.

Travellers who wish to support this conservation drive can choose to book a stay at participating properties under the Eco Deals section of its global booking site.

YouGov Surveys research across 17 international markets has found that over half of consumers in APAC (55 per cent) say they are willing to pay more to stay at an environmentally sustainable hotel compared to a regular one, while only around two-fifths of consumers in EMEA (41 per cent) and AMERS (38 per cent) say the same.

Consumers who are willing to fork out a 10 per cent green premium make up around a quarter in APAC (27 per cent) and EMEA (23 per cent) but just a fifth in AMERS (20 per cent), while the percentage of those willing to spend over 10 per cent more to stay at eco-friendly hotels make up 28 per cent in APAC compared to 18 per cent in EMEA and AMERS.

Across the 17 international markets polled in the study, Australians were the 7th most willing to pay more for a sustainable hotel stay, just below the average.

Consumers who resided in the UAE, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Mexico were all more likely than not to express willingness to pay more for a sustainable accommodation.

Close to three-quarters of consumers in the UAE (73 per cent) are willing to fork out more, ahead of almostseven in ten Indian consumers (69 per cent), and three in five consumers in Indonesia, Hong Kong (both 61 per cent) and Mexico (60 per cent).

This willingness was felt by 42 per cent of Australians, a sentiment similarly shared by Singapore (42 per cent), and Spain (41 per cent).

Aussies were more likely to spend for sustainability than those in Poland and Denmark (both 38 per cent), Sweden (37 per cent), Britain (36 per cent), Canada and Germany (both 35 per cent) and France (34 per cent).

Pulling up the rear with just over a quarter (28 per cent) was consumers in the USA.

These insights are available on the YouGov website.

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