Booking.com launches sustainability features for accommodation, car rental and flights

The global OTA marks the one year anniversary of its Travel Sustainable programme with initiatives aimed at giving consumers more information and insight

by Aidan Poole

Global OTA Booking.com has announced a set of eco-friendly features for accommodations, car rentals and flights.

The features celebrate one year of the platform’s Travel Sustainable programme, introduced to help travellers make mindful choices about the environment while booking trips.

The first feature introduces three “badge levels” to the programme, aimed to bring visibility to uncertified properties that are taking steps to be more environmentally conscious and to motivate all properties to act with sustainability in mind.

Before booking, travellers will see the specific measures and commitments toward sustainability taken by uncertified accommodations, which will be categorized into badge levels one through three according to total eco-friendly investment.

Properties can achieve third-party certification on Booking.com beyond the three badge levels if they demonstrate a remarkably high level of sustainable measures.

Over 400,000 accommodations globally have already earned sustainable badges, with leading countries including Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the US, Brazil, India, the UK, Greece and Poland.

The badge levels, which are denoted by number of leaf icons, will appear on the OTA’s platform for travellers in the coming weeks.

Another feature is a search filter for hybrid and electric car rentals in 60 countries, which Booking.com has already implemented.

Booking.com will also make carbon emissions data available for accommodations bookings as part of a tie-up with climate technology company CHOOSE.

The platform aims to provide this information alongside offsetting options so users will be more conscious of their carbon footprints while travelling.

Booking.com will also show total carbon emissions for selected flights directly on the platform in coming weeks in collaboration with both CHOOSE and the Travalyst Coalition.

The feature will initially launch across Europe with the intention of going global, according to Booking.com.

An option to sort flights based on carbon emissions will become available in 2023.

Danielle D’Silva, head of sustainability at Booking.com, said: “As we optimise and develop our Travel Sustainable programme further, our ambition is to continue making it easier for everyone to make more sustainable choices for their next trip.

“We’re examining every part of the trip on our platform and actively looking for ways to provide more information to travellers in a credible and trusted way.

“Whether it’s an apartment for a weekend getaway, an electric car for their upcoming road trip or carbon emissions data about a flight, our aim is to nudge our customers and partners towards these more responsible options and do our part to ensure a healthier future for our planet and industry.”