New research from the University of Portsmouth shows that caring about sustainability doesn't always translate into paying for carbon offsets on holiday. Among tourists with strong sustainability values, 63.7% said they would pay to offset their travel emissions, compared with 34.9% of those with more moderate values. But more than one in three in the high-values group still said no, which suggests concern about climate change alone is not enough to drive purchases. The study, published in Sustainability, grouped tourists by values like respect for nature and shared responsibility. It found that offset schemes need to be clear, credible, and easy to evaluate. That point is becoming more important as EU rules under Directive (EU) 2024/825, in force since September 2026, tighten requirements around environmental marketing claims. For the travel industry, the takeaway is that values-based marketing has limits. Providers that want uptake need to show exactly what payments fund, how projects are verified, and how emission reductions are calculated. Without that, even the most climate-conscious customers will keep their wallets closed.
