72% of Spanish tourists are willing to pay an additional amount for vacations that include practices and services aimed at minimizing environmental impact, although the majority sets a moderate financial limit, according to a report released this Tuesday by the National Observatory of Outbound Tourism of Spain (ObservaTUR).
In detail, 58% of the survey participants would accept paying an extra surcharge of up to 10% for sustainable services (28% would assume up to 5% more and 30% would consider a cost overrun of between 6% and 10% reasonable).
Beyond that threshold, the willingness drops notably: only 11% would be willing to pay between 11% and 20% more, while only 3% would go beyond 20%. On the opposite side, 28% would not accept paying any supplement.
The report also highlights a marked generational gap in environmental sensitivity. While the rejection of paying a price premium stands at 18% among travelers aged 18 to 34, the proportion of opposition rises to 38% in the 65 to 74 age group.
Despite this declared favorable attitude, the observatory’s historical analyses between 2018 and 2026 show that a gap persists between awareness and actual purchasing behavior, as it is confirmed that sustainability still does not establish itself as a decisive criterion in the final contracting process compared with the weight of price.
The spokesperson for ObservaTUR, Marcos Franco, has underlined that the challenge for the tourism sector is to "turn that predisposition into real purchasing decisions" through proposals that are "understandable, verifiable and economically accessible" and that fit the expectations and budget of travelers.