While 88% of Asia-Pacific travelers across all ages say that more sustainable travel is important or very important to them, older generations report taking more concrete sustainability-related actions — this according to Booking.com’s 11th annual Travel & Sustainability Report, which draws on responses from 32,500 travelers across 35 markets globally.
Stated intentions vary significantly by generation. Less than half of Boomer respondents (61+) in APAC — 48% — say they want to travel more sustainably in the coming 12 months, compared to 68% of Gen X (45–60), 76% of Millennials (29–44), and 80% of Gen Z (18–28).
“This year’s Travel & Sustainability Report shows that while generations may have different understandings of what constitutes more sustainable travel, adapting to extreme weather and actively avoiding crowds are now norms at all ages,” said Danielle D’Silva, Director of Sustainability, Booking.com.
When it comes to the practical steps travelers are taking to be more sustainable, it seems older generations are more action-oriented than younger ones.
Highlights
- Of those who intend to travel more sustainably over the next year, three-fourths of APAC Boomers (75%) say they will reduce general waste when travelling compared to 55% of Gen X, 52% of Millennials and 50% of Gen Z.
- 63% of Boomers intend to reduce energy consumption (such as turning off air conditioning and lights in their room when they aren’t there), compared to 49% of Gen X, 46% of Millennials and 45% of Gen Z.
- 63% of Boomers say they will shop more at local, independent stores on their trips compared to 41% of Gen X, 40% of Millennials, and 40% of Gen Z.
- And perhaps, unsurprisingly, older generations were much more likely to report plans to travel outside of peak season: Boomers (67%), Gen X (44%), Millennials (40%) and Gen Z (35%).
Younger generations lead in some areas, particularly around cultural and ecological engagement:
- A third of Gen Z (34%) and Millennials (31%) in APAC had participated in a tour or activity where they learned about or interacted with local indigenous people or cultures, compared to 25% of Gen X and 21% of Boomers in the last twelve months.
- And over a quarter of Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (26%) had participated in a tour or activity that contributed to the health or conservation of the local ecosystem or wildlife, compared to 20% of Gen X and 13% of Boomers.
Extreme weather is reshaping travel choices across all age groups. More than three-quarters of all survey respondents said they consider extreme weather risk when choosing both destination (79%) and timing (79%). In Asia-Pacific, 74% of travelers say they actively avoid destinations known for extreme weather, 68% find extreme weather stressful when booking a trip, and 64% feel unpredictable weather makes it hard to know when to travel.
How’s the weather?
Nearly half of Asia-Pacific travelers (44%) reported having canceled or changed trip plans in the past 12 months due to extreme weather or natural disasters, including high temperatures, storms, wildfires, and floods. More than half of all those surveyed (56%) said that certain destinations had become too hot to travel to when they wanted to visit them, and 63% said they had removed destinations from their travel wish list due to news of extreme weather or natural disasters.
Sustainability certifications appear to carry similar importance across generations. Nearly half of each age group in the region say they plan to stay at an accommodation with a sustainability certification in the next 12 months: Boomers (46%), Gen X (37%), Millennials (38%), and Gen Z (37%). Separately released data shows that travelers booked 100 million room nights at properties with a third-party sustainability certification in 2025 on Booking.com, the company said.
In the Asia-Pacific, 40% of travelers say they plan to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations, 47% plan to travel outside of peak season, and 28% will seek out destinations with cooler temperatures. Of those choosing quieter destinations, 36% cite a desire to avoid contributing to overtourism. Among those traveling outside of peak season, 33% say they want to reduce pressure on destinations.
“We are encouraged by the broad range of ways travellers are already traveling more sustainably, and how they plan to continue,” added D’Silva.
“Whether that’s the 100 million room nights travellers booked with accommodation partners displaying a third-party sustainability certification on our platforms in 2025, using public transport or hiring an electric vehicle to get around on their trips, or indeed, choosing cooler and quieter destinations altogether.”
