by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Wed April 29, 2026
A new report from Booking.com has revealed what it calls a “generational paradox.” The 2026 Travel and Sustainability reports shows younger travellers rank sustainable travel as more important in their booking decisions than older travellers do, but older travellers are the ones taking concrete actions to ensure their travel choices are actually more sustainable.
Roughly half (53 percent) of the North American Boomer survey respondents (aged 61+), say they want to travel more sustainably in the coming 12 months, compared to 57 percent of Gen Xers (45-60), 72 percent of Millennials (29-44) and 78 percent of Gen Z (18-28).
So what does that look in action?
- Of those who intend to travel more sustainably over the next year, 69 percent of North American Boomers say they will reduce general waste when travelling compared to 59 percent of Gen X, 50 percent of Millennials and 51 percent of Gen Z.
- 57 percent of North American Boomers intend to reduce energy consumption (such as turning off air conditioning and lights in their room when they aren’t there), compared to 51 percent of Gen X, 40 percent of Millennials and 42 percent of Gen Z.
- 63 percent of North American Boomers say they will shop more at local, independent stores on their trips compared to 55 percent of Gen X, 46 percent of Millennials, and 54 percent of Gen Z.
- Older generations were much more likely to report plans to travel outside of peak season: Boomers (67 percent), Gen X (51 percent), Millennials (38 percent) and Gen Z (40 percent).
There are other areas, however, where younger generations outshine their older counterparts, namely learning about local cultures, Indigenous communities and the conservation of wildlife:
Nearly a third of Gen Z (31 percent) and Millennials (28 percent) had participated in a tour or activity where they learned about or interacted with local indigenous people or cultures, compared to 18 percent of Gen X and 21 percent of Boomers in the last twelve months.
And a quarter of Millennials (25 percent), plus 21 percent of Gen Z had participated in a tour or activity that contributed to the health or conservation of the local ecosystem or wildlife, compared to 14 percent of Gen X and 11 percent of Boomers.
Other sustainable travel issues, such as avoiding overtouristed areas, being mindful of extreme weather and choosing accommodations with sustainability certifications also ranked as important across generations.
- 46 percent of Canadian travellers say they plan to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations (up 18 percent YoY), and 48 percent plan to travel outside of peak season (up 15 percent YoY).
- 74 percent of Canadian survey respondents said they consider extreme weather risk when choosing the timing of trips, and 87 percent when choosing the destination.
- In 2025, travellers booked more than 100 million room nights on Booking.com at accommodation partners with a third-party sustainability certification.
The organization sees this as overall positive. "We are encouraged by the broad range of ways travellers are already traveling more sustainably, and how they plan to continue,“ says Danielle D’Silva, Director of Sustainability, Booking.com. “As a global leader in travel, we want to make it easier for both travellers and partners to continue to make these more sustainable choices so that everyone can continue to enjoy the benefits that travel brings, and that destinations can continue to be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.”
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