Travelocity’s Travel for Good: Social Conscious to Shape Travel Options for 2008

Social consciousness and environmental responsibility among travelers will play a major role in travel-purchasing in 2008, making Travelocity’s Travel for Good program a lead contender in the green travel marketplace. According to a recent Travelocity poll, 38 percent of respondents are planning to focus their travel to charitable, volunteer-based causes, while almost 80 percent are [...]

Social consciousness and environmental responsibility among travelers will play a major role in travel-purchasing in 2008, making Travelocity’s Travel for Good program a lead contender in the green travel marketplace. According to a recent Travelocity poll, 38 percent of respondents are planning to focus their travel to charitable, volunteer-based causes, while almost 80 percent are willing to spend more money in order to book with an eco-friendly destination or business.

The poll was conducted from November 26 to December 3, 2007, with participation from approximately 1,000 Travelocity members. Each member has booked at least one travel component in the last 12 months.

“There are limitless opportunities to minimize the negative impact of our travels and even improve the locales we visit,” says Genevieve Shaw Brown, Travelocity’s senior editor. “We want to inform travelers about all the possibilities so individuals can participate at a level that works for them.”

One of the main objectives of Travel for Good is to provide easy options for travelers to do just that: good. Simple, one-click carbon offset purchasing, eco-friendly resort listings, volunteer-vacation searching and daily offerings of local charitable events and functions are just some examples of the options available to responsible travelers.

The survey found that of all respondents who plan to volunteer in 2008, they would opt for environmental conservation as their top choice, while healthcare and education in a close second and third.

In addition to traditional volunteer vacations, Travelocity recently began offering one-day volunteer opportunities in New Orleans in conjunction with Hands on New Orleans and in the San Francisco Bay Area in conjunction with Earthwatch. Volunteers in San Francisco spend the day monitoring the Mammals of Monterey Bay to ensure populations of sea otters, humpback whales, and dolphins are stable. Meanwhile, volunteers in New Orleans can assist in post-Katrina recovery by working at a food bank, an animal shelter, or renovating schools.

“People are genuinely concerned about how their travels impact the global and local environment, but often think the contributions they make are insignificant,” Brown says. “It’s when we all band together and do a small part that change happens.”

For complete survey details, visit www.travelocity.com/forecast2008.