World Environment Day 2025: How Indians are embracing sustainable tourism, top 10 destinations for eco-friendly stays
World Environment Day 2025: Whether you are a mountain or beach person, travelling adds a little magic to life, but it should not be at the cost of our planet. Travel is no longer just about ticking off bucket lists or collecting souvenirs. Step back to look at the bigger picture, from increased plastic use to carbon emissions from planes and cars, there's a much darker side to your beloved trips that weighs down on the environment.
On June 5, World Environment Day is observed annually. The theme this year is 'Putting an End to Plastic Pollution.' This theme couldn't be more apt and relevant to travel. Tourist destinations see a lot of plastic litter, from single-use plastic bottles to packaging of chips and biscuits, strewn everywhere. The ecosystems of these places suffer from this littering - beaches, forests, hiking trails, name it, and you will find trash sadly scattered around, marring the beauty of the landscape and affecting the flora and fauna.
Giving travel a complete 'eco-makeover' is the need of the hour. But all hope is not lost, as it has already started, showcasing a rising consciousness for sustainability, which is prompting a shift towards responsible tourism with eco-friendly habits.
Booking.com, the online travel agency, released its 10th edition of the Travel & Sustainability Report 2025, revealing some encouraging trends among Indian travellers who are making eco-friendly choices to reduce their carbon footprint, from reducing waste to opting for greener transport.
ALSO READ: What is conscious tourism? Know about this eco-friendly travel trend
Booking.com's Travel & Sustainability Report 2025 identified some key trends that indicate Indian travellers are embracing sustainable practices on their gateways. Here are some of the stats that demonstrate the trend, as shared by the report:
Moreover, even in their booking preferences, travellers are choosing to go sustainable. The growing consciousness of sustainable tourism is making travellers actively filter places, choosing greener alternatives. Here are some trends, as per the stats of the report:
Sustainable stays are rising, becoming a popular choice among travellers who are keen to stay in eco-friendly places. These stays are rooted in local communities and focus on sustainability through energy-efficient systems like solar power, water conservation, waste recycling and more.
Booking.com's report identified 10 Indian destinations and 10 global locations that have a booming share of eco-friendly accommodations. These destinations were selected for having the highest percentage of overall properties with an independent third-party sustainability certification. Here are the destinations as per the report:
Kanha, Madhya Pradesh
Winnipeg, Canada
Khawasa, Madhya Pradesh
Den Haag, Netherlands
Panaji, Goa
Hamburg, Germany
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Ankara, Turkey
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Geneva, Switzerland
Hyderabad, Telangana
Aarhus, Denmark
Candolim, Goa
Puebla, Mexico
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Newcastle, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Seoul, South Korea
Pune, Maharashtra
Roanoke, United States
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