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AIG Travel Survey Explores
Consumer
Perceptions of Sustainable
Travel Movement
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Travel insurer reports travelers
are receptive, but note barriers to, responsible tourism
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Houston,
TX – July 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / According to a new poll,
most travelers agree that traveling sustainably is important, but many
may feel it’s easier said than done. AIG
Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance services,
today released the results of its latest Pulse Poll on sustainable travel,
which received more than 1,500 responses from travelers and followers of
the brand.
Chief among the findings:
Most respondents (52 percent) said it’s important to travel sustainably,
but more than one third (35 percent) reported difficulty doing so, with
50 percent of those citing “not knowing how” as the top barrier. This lack
of awareness was reflected elsewhere in the survey, with 71 percent of
respondents defining sustainable travel as “minimizing environmental impact”
despite the World Tourism Organization’s broader definition of the term,
which includes economic and social elements.
“International travel is
more accessible today than ever before, and with this access comes a responsibility
to positively impact the places we visit,” said Jeff Rutledge, CEO of AIG
Travel and a Vice Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
“This Pulse Poll is one of many efforts to help us understand potential
barriers to sustainable travel, so we may help travelers overcome them.
The results suggest a major opportunity for consumer education around this
important cause.”
In April, AIG Travel sponsored
WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which celebrate sustainability best
practices by recognizing exceptional tourism businesses, organizations
and destinations. In August, the travel company will partner with award-winning
family travel blogger Heather Delaney Reese of “It’s a Lovely Life” to
host its first #WhereNext? Twitter chat on sustainable travel, educating
travelers on the basics of the movement and exploring key survey themes,
including:
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Catch 22: In the survey’s
open-ended section, 41 respondents questioned whether air travel is at
odds with sustainable travel. The group will discuss ways to mitigate the
environmental impact of air travel, including purchasing carbon offsets,
opting for public transportation once at one’s destination, and practicing
social and economic consciousness.
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Team Effort: When asked
who had the most power to help people travel sustainably, respondents held
themselves (37 percent) and the travel industry (45 percent) about equally
responsible. The group will discuss ways in which these parties may work
together to promote responsible tourism.
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Golden Rule: When asked
what sustainable travel means to them, 49 respondents wrote in with variations
of “treating others the way you’d like to be treated” and “leaving destinations
better than you found them.” The group will explore ways to bridge the
gap from these abstract, but commendable, goals to concrete actions to
support them.
In May 2016, AIG Travel distributed
a 12-question Pulse Poll on the topic of sustainable travel to its U.S.
direct marketing email list and Twitter followers. The survey received
1,508 responses from May 3 – May 10, 2016. For more information about AIG
Travel, Travel Guard® travel insurance, and ways to practice sustainable
travel, or to find updates on how to participate in the #WhereNext? sustainable
travel Twitter chat in August, visit www.travelguard.com
and follow Travel Guard on Twitter @TravelGuard.
About AIG Travel and Travel
Guard
AIG Travel, Inc., a member
of American International Group, Inc., is a worldwide leader in travel
insurance solutions and assistance. Travel Guard® is the marketing
name for its portfolio of travel insurance solutions and travel-related
services, including assistance and security services, marketed to both
leisure and business travelers around the globe. Services are provided
through a network of wholly owned service centers located in Asia, Europe
and the Americas. For additional information, please visit our websites
at www.aig.com/travel and www.travelguard.com.
About AIG
American International Group,
Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919,
today we provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance,
retirement products, mortgage insurance and other financial services to
customers in more than 100 countries and jurisdictions. Our diverse offerings
include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect
their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common
stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Additional information about
AIG can be found at www.aig.com and www.aig.com/strategyupdate
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as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not
incorporated by reference into this press release.
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for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance
operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information,
please visit our website at www.aig.com.
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Media Contact:
Rhonda
Sloan
AIG Travel
713-284-8232 |