Indian Travellers Choose Community-Focussed Tourism, Finds Booking.com

Indian travellers are showing a deepening commitment to responsible tourism, with over half now prioritising community and environmental impact in their travel choices, according to Booking.com’s 10th Sustainable Travel Report. Drawing insights from 32,000 respondents across 34 countries, the study offers a compelling view of shifting traveller behaviour, especially among Indians towards socially and environmentally conscious travel.

The 2025 report reveals that 59 per cent of Indian travellers are increasingly aware of how their journeys affect local communities, while 63 per cent wish to leave destinations better than they found them. Notably, 96 per cent say travelling sustainably is important to them, and an overwhelming 99 per cent want to make more sustainable travel choices.

This year’s research adopts a dual lens, exploring travellers’ behaviours and how they perceive tourism as residents. A positive sentiment prevails, with 74 per cent of Indians believing tourism benefits their home areas. However, they also express concern about challenges such as traffic congestion (43 per cent), overcrowding (40 per cent), rising living costs (36 per cent), and littering (33 per cent).

Rather than restricting tourist numbers—an option only 27 per cent favour—travellers prefer infrastructure upgrades. Improved waste management (49 per cent), enhanced transport systems (46 per cent), and environmental conservation efforts (42 per cent) top their list of preferred community investments.

The report also captures how Indian travellers value authentic and locally enriching experiences. A significant 77 per cent seek cultural immersion, and 68 per cent hope their spending directly benefits the local economy. Encouragingly, more than half observe that tourists respect local customs (66 per cent) and support small businesses (69 per cent).

Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com said, “It is encouraging to see the definition of sustainable travel expanding on both sides of the lens. Travellers are increasingly seeing it not just as an environmental concern, but as something deeply connected to local communities. With nearly two-thirds of Indian travellers wanting to leave the destinations better than they found them, the travel industry has a clear opportunity to support this mindset through infrastructure, guidance and innovation. At Booking.com, we’re committed to empowering both our travellers and partners to make sustainable choices more accessible and actionable—whether that’s through highlighting accommodations with credible third-party sustainability certifications or providing properties training and guidance to minimize their environmental impact and strengthen local connections.”

Over the past decade, sustainable travel habits among Indian travellers have steadily evolved. From turning off air conditioning when leaving hotel rooms (55 per cent in 2020, up to 66 per cent in 2023) to avoiding peak travel periods (45 per cent) and overcrowded destinations (42 per cent), Indian tourists are adopting more mindful behaviours.

As sustainable practices become mainstream, this year’s report confirms a growing trend: Indian travellers are no longer just visitors—they are becoming stewards of the places they explore.