KAYAK Launches City Index for Mindful Travellers
City trips are one of the drivers for global travel, with the expectation that almost 800 million people will visit global urban destinations annually by 2025*. To help travellers research options for mindful urban travel easily, the world’s leading travel search engine KAYAK has launched the City Index for Mindful Travellers**. Rotterdam secured the top spot, named the most attractive city destination for mindful travellers, followed by Amsterdam and Graz.
KAYAK’s City Index for Mindful Travellers (CIMT) is an interactive guide, designed to help travellers consider sustainability-related aspects, such as airport carbon accreditation, local traffic or air quality, in city destinations all over the world as they plan their next trip. The CIMT analysed 167 cities in 63 countries across 28 factors to help conscious travellers make more informed travel decisions. The Index also features the option to personalise the results and filter by the factors which matter the most to travellers.
Europe is leading the way
Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Graz are the first 3 positions in KAYAK’s ranking, with the top 10 spots held by European cities. The Dutch port city Rotterdam has scored highest, with its airport having an advanced carbon management system certified by Airport Carbon Accreditation, a large number of competitively-priced properties which have been qualified by Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable Programme***, a great urban rail network, and the widest length of cycling routes. Amsterdam, Netherlands, comes in 2nd, world-renowned for bike-friendly options and pedestrianised streets, with viable options for driving eco-friendly cars and a high concentration of EV charging stations. Graz, Austria, takes the 3rd spot, scoring with great rail links, plenty of EV charging stations, and a walking-only UNESCO World Heritage city centre to explore*.
Top 10 highest ranked cities according to KAYAK’s City Index for Mindful Travellers:
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Graz, Austria
- Trondheim, Norway
- Munich, Germany
- Helsinki, Finland
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Vienna, Austria
“According to our recent international research, 56% of British travellers don’t have enough information to make sustainability-minded travel decisions****. With the new City Index for Mindful Travellers, we are making it easier for mindful travellers to make informed choices when exploring city destinations,’’ comments Per Christiansen, SVP, Marketing at KAYAK.
North America: Vancouver at the top
Vancouver in Canada and San Francisco in the USA form the leading 2 in KAYAK’s ranking for North America, just ahead of Boston, Washington DC and New York. Vancouver was noted for its air quality, San Francisco landed in 2nd place thanks to its top-notch urban rail transit system and pedestrian-only roads. Boston slides into the 3rd spot, with plenty of EV charging stations, bike rental options and bike paths which make getting around the city with less carbon emissions easier.
Tokyo leads the way in Asia-Pacific
Tokyo, Japan, reached the highest rank in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Osaka, Japan. The Japanese capital’s local markets, theatres and art galleries are extremely accessible thanks to “pedestrian only” and designated bike roads. Tokyo’s variety of bike sharing options effortlessly connect travellers to the world-class rail system. In Osaka the popularity of bikes for commuting accounts for as much as three times that of cars.
Santiago soars into the top in South America
Chile, so hot right now. Its capital Santiago took KAYAK’s top spot as the cheapest South American city for travel during the shoulder seasons. And bonus points go to its airport, recognized for its carbon management by the Airport Carbon Accreditation. In Quito, Ecuador, which came 2nd, travellers can easily hire eco-friendly cars as the city is well equipped with EV charging stations. As a UNESCO ICCAR (International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities) member, Bogota, Colombia, rounds out the top 3 in the region, showing a commitment to diversity and inclusion – evident in the amount of the city’s tours that are wheelchair-accessible (26%).
Tunis pulls ahead of Tel Aviv and Dubai
Being a mindful traveller also means supporting a destination’s culture and communities, and benefiting the local economy wherever possible by, for instance, buying local produce. In Tunis, Tunisia, which leads the ranking in this region, the density of markets and the opportunity to buy second-hand is great for delving into the local culture. Tel Aviv, Israel, is 2nd and excels in the number of walking tours, some of which are free of charge. And while strolling from one cultural point to another, travellers can find recycling points. The UAE’s Dubai is in 3rd place due to its eco-friendly car hire options for costs lower than for conventional cars.
British travellers attitude towards sustainable travel
When it comes to Brits, it seems that travelling in a more mindful way is playing more of a role in their decision making. Searches for “eco-friendly” car hire on KAYAK.co.uk are up around six times compared to 2022*****, and the use of the Less CO2 sorter by KAYAK UK users has increased by around 41% in the past five months******. Searches for train travel in 2023 are up 50% compared to 2022*******.
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*According to the ‘Global City Travel Report’ issued by Oxford Economics.
** CIMT was created by KAYAK and its portfolio of travel brands, including momondo. 167 cities in 63 countries have been analysed across 28 factors based on external and KAYAK’s own search data from 01 March – 22 September 2022. The insights collected are based on the latest available data. For full details on the City Index for Mindful Travellers methodology, please visit https://www.kayak.co.uk/mindful-traveller#methodology.
*** Travel Sustainable, a program pioneered by Booking.com and counting more than 400K accommodations recognised globally, provides credible information of impactful sustainability efforts taken by a wide range of properties worldwide and gives travellers a transparent, consistent and easy-to-understand way to identify a wider range of more sustainable stays, no matter where they want to travel. To learn more about the Travel Sustainable Program, visit https://www.sustainability.booking.com/booking-travel-sustainable.
**** An online survey was conducted by Walr among 10 markets, which achieved a total of 10173 respondents who travelled on holiday domestically or internationally in the last 5 years. 1008 British respondents participated. The research fieldwork took place between December 02 – 15, 2022. Walr is a member organisation of the Market Research Society and abides by all codes of practise.
***** Based on car hire searches made on Kayak.co.uk and associated sites in the period between 01.10.2022 and 14.02.2023 compared to the same dates in 2021-22 for travel dates between 01.01.2023 and 31.12.2023 compared to the same dates in 2022. Percentages are approximate.
****** Based on flight searches made on Kayak.co.uk and associated sites in the period between 01.08.2022 and 31.01.2023. Percentages are approximate.
******* Based on train searches made on Kayak.co.uk and associated sites in the period between 01.10.2022 and 14.02.2023 compared to the same dates in 2018-19 for travel dates between 01.01.2023 and 31.12.2023 compared to the same dates in 2019. Percentages are approximate.
ABOUT KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car, cruise, or vacation package. We’re also transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new accommodation software. For more information, visit www.KAYAK.co.uk.
