The Way We Travel Is Changing
For most of us, travelling means seeing new places, resting, exploring, or getting away from the pace of everyday life. In recent years, however, the way we look at tourism has been changing quietly but powerfully.
It is no longer only where we go but how we go; no longer only where we stay, but what kind of impact that choice leaves on the place we are in.
This change is not only a matter of individual awareness. The data points to a similar transformation. According to the sustainable travel statistics compiled by Perk, the global sustainable tourism market stood at 3.56 trillion US dollars in 2025 and is expected to reach approximately 11.39 trillion US dollars by 2034. The same compilation reports that searches for “sustainable travel” rose by 108% over the last two years, and that 85% of travellers regard more sustainable travel as important or very important. This picture in fact shows us that sustainable tourism has ceased to be a niche preference and has become part of mainstream travel behaviour.
For many years tourism was assessed largely through visitor numbers, economic contribution, accommodation capacity and the appeal of destinations. The more tourists a region attracted, the more successful it was considered in tourism terms. Today that view is becoming more questioning.
Because a destination can attract a great many visitors. But if natural resources are being over-consumed in the process, if the living space of local people is coming under pressure, if cultural heritage is turning into nothing more than a tourist spectacle, or if the economic benefit is not reflected fairly in the region, it becomes difficult to speak of long-term success there.
This is precisely where sustainable tourism comes in.
This approach aims for tourism to be planned and managed without harming the environment, local communities or cultural values. Reducing water and energy consumption, managing waste correctly, lowering carbon emissions, protecting biodiversity, supporting local employment and including local producers in the tourism chain are among the fundamental parts of this understanding.
Today many people no longer look only at a hotel’s location, price or the services it offers when planning a trip. They are beginning to take into account the environmental policies of the facility they stay in, the relationship it builds with local people, its waste management, its energy and water use, and the importance it gives to local products.
There is also a striking difference between generations at this point. According to the data compiled by Perk, 75% of Generation Z travellers say they want to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months. That figure is reported as 71% among Generation Y, 60% among Generation X and 47% among Baby Boomers.
In fact this change has a psychological side too. Travel is no longer only an area of individual pleasure; it is becoming a choice connected to a person’s values, sense of responsibility and outlook on the world. People want not merely to leave a trace where they go, but to travel with as low an impact as possible, respecting local life and contributing to the region they are in.
Certifications, by evaluating certain criteria, can in fact serve as a guide and a decision mechanism for consumers.
GSTC provides globally accepted standards in the field of sustainable tourism, and these standards create a common language for measurement, evaluation, policy development and certification processes in tourism. In Türkiye, the Türkiye Sürdürülebilir Turizm Programı is a framework recognised by GSTC that aims to support sustainable transformation in the tourism sector, above all in accommodation facilities.
Even so, simply seeing a certification logo is not enough. Whether the certificate is current, whether it involves an independent audit process, which activities it covers, and whether the business genuinely reflects these claims in its daily practice should also be questioned.
This subject is not limited to individual holidays either. Business travel is also becoming an important part of the sustainable tourism discussion. Amex GBT states that, for more sustainable business travel, companies can track their travel emissions, steer employees towards lower-impact options, and consider at policy level such headings as rail alternatives instead of air travel, lower-emission flights, cabin class choices and sustainable aviation fuel.
This approach also shows that sustainable travel has become not only a personal preference but a matter of corporate policy and data management. Making carbon emissions visible, particularly in business travel, allows travel decisions to be assessed not only on cost and time but on environmental impact as well.
In the end, sustainable tourism is more than a marketing phrase. It is an approach that is measurable, auditable and requires continuous improvement.
Travelling today does not only mean seeing a new place. It also shows what kind of relationship we build with that place.
Making more conscious choices, questioning sustainability claims, paying attention to reliable certifications and supporting businesses that respect local values are among the most concrete steps that can be taken for the future of tourism.
Recommendations for more sustainable business travel | Amex GBT