Travellers willing to pay green premiums "if it's their choice"
Eight in ten British travellers would be willing to pay to offset the environmental impact of their flights, car rental and accommodation.
The study, commissioned ahead of the Johannesburg Earth Summit, showed that, given the choice, more than three quarters (77%) of travellers would pay to offset the carbon-dioxide emissions from air travel (at a cost of 1637 a flight); nearly four fifths (79%) would do the same for car rental (at 1631 for a one-week rental); and nearly nine out of ten (86%) would do so for a hotel room (at a cost of 1631 per night).
People who have rented cars over the last two years prove to be the most enthusiastic group, being more willing than other travellers to pay to offset flights, car hire and hotels.
Over three quarters (78%) of the British public have not heard of, or know nothing about, the Earth Summit. Business travellers were more informed, with more than a quarter (28%) having heard of the summit.
Technical details
MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 989 adults aged 15+ in 196 sampling points across Britain. Interviews were conducted face-to-face, in-home, between 8-13 August 2002. Data are weighted to the known national population profile.
