Traveling with Purpose: Insights from Booking.com’s 2025 Research

Booking.com’s 2025 Travel & Sustainability Report reveals a substantial increase in tourist awareness concerning the wider impact of tourism on communities and the environment. For the first time, more than half of international travelers (53%) recognize the impact of tourism on communities, and 69% are determined to leave places better than they arrived.

This year’s poll of 32,000 tourists from 34 countries brings out the dual view of the traveler as tourist and resident alike. While 57% think that tourism has a positive effect on their places of origin, issues of traffic congestion (38%), littering (35%), overcrowding (30%), and increasing living expenses (29%) are still top priorities. Significantly, only 16% support limiting the numbers of tourists in their hometowns, rather voting for investing in infrastructure, waste management, and conservation of the environment.

Tourists are also moving towards more community-oriented travel options, with 73% of them preferring that their expenditures go directly to supporting local economies. Also, 77% prefer genuine experiences celebrating local culture. Environmentally friendly travel behaviors, such as traveling to less crowded places (36%) and going during the off-season (39%), are on the rise.

Danielle D’Silva, Director of Sustainability at Booking.com, stresses the importance of tourism, infrastructure, and innovation to meet travelers’ intentions. She also points out the capabilities of technology, i.e., AI, to bring travelers into contact with varied local communities and inspire sustainable behavior.

With 93% of travelers indicating a wish to make environmentally sustainable travel decisions, the report emphasizes the increasing desire to reconcile the advantages of tourism with the interests of local destinations.

For further details, read the full article and report here