This month, Interface Tourism Insights goes green and analyzes, thanks to its tourism data platform ETIM (European Traveler Intelligence Monitor), French trends in local and responsible tourism: what is the position of the French vis-à-vis responsible tourism ? How is it reflected in their travel habits and how has it evolved with the Covid-19 crisis ? Is local tourism on the rise ? To answer these questions, the new Interface Tourism Insights study examines the aspirations of the French in terms of green and sustainable tourism in order to draw up the profile of the responsible French traveler.
The trend is clear: 82% of French people say they want nature and that the choice of outdoor activities will be a determining factor in choosing their next vacation destination. This increased desire for greenery and large spaces is also accompanied by new awareness, whether in terms of ecology, sustainable development or responsible tourism.
Greater attention to environmental issues
The desire to travel is stronger than ever among the French at the moment, however the Covid-19 crisis has impacted the way they design their trips for the future. The environment – and its preservation – has become a central issue for a whole part of the French population and today 32% of French people, or nearly one in three French people, believe that questions of the environment and sustainable development will have great or very great importance in choosing their next destination. They are particularly sensitive to the means of transport used to get to their vacation spot and 30% of travelers say that they will favor transport with lower carbon emissions (train or bus) or direct flights (48%). Another approach: a third of those questioned also declared a greater interest in journeys and stays (flights and hotels) which are the subject of a carbon offset mechanism.
A new impetus for local tourism
At the same time, this environmental concern is accompanied by a renewed interest in local tourism. Thus, 40% of French people will opt for destinations where they can go by themselves by car. Willy-nilly, the destination France emerges as the great champion of the crisis and for the next two years, nearly 20% of French people say they want to do more domestic tourism than before. Proximity still, it is the countries bordering France which take second place with 8% more travel intention than before the crisis, against 5.7% for the rest of Europe and 4.8% for destinations outside Europe.
Profile of the responsible French traveler: nature, environment and slow tourism
Who are these French people sensitive to responsible tourism and how does this affect travel preferences ? Among the French people surveyed saying that these questions are of great importance in their travel choices, 52% are women. The majority are also couples and single people without children (51% and 41% respectively), rather than families (only 8% for families with children under 17). Nature and outdoor activities are at the top of their aspirations for choosing their next destination (89% vs. 82%).
The responsible French traveler is also perfectly in line with the slow tourism trend: even more than the average French traveler, he wants to be able to interact with locals when traveling (59% vs. 44% for French travelers in general) , he wants to meet new people (76% vs. 60%) and live cultural experiences on site (56% vs. 40%). Finally, in terms of accommodation, he will favor more local or authentic accommodation: in priority the possibility of sleeping with family or friends, and otherwise the rentals of private homes, guest rooms, their own second homes or well the independent 3 & 4 * hotels.
About the European Traveler Intelligence Monitor
The European Traveler Intelligence Monitor (ETIM) is a data platform for analyzing, interpreting and anticipating the travel behavior of the main European markets. It is capable of processing 5.7 million pieces of data to answer specific questions about the perceptions, behavior and intentions of travelers regarding 100 destinations around the world. The European Traveler Intelligence Monitor, managed by the European marketing and communication group Interface Tourism, uses an exclusive algorithm that combines the data of a panel of 20,000 people questioned in 13 European markets, by crossing behaviors, models, habits, perceptions, concerns, interests and motivations of travelers with multiple demographic or geographic information.
About Interface Tourism
Interface Tourism is a communication, public relations, social media and marketing agency specializing in the tourism sector.
It represents, for continuous support or one-off operations, destinations and major private players in the tourism industry such as airlines, receptives, hotels, etc. on the French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch markets.
With a team of more than 80 employees, they develop strategies and set up BtoB, BtoC, Press Relations and Social Media Marketing activities on behalf of around fifty clients.
In addition to its offices in France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, the agency has a solid network of partners in all global markets.