Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource depletion are some of the threats that pose serious risks to the well-being and survival of current and future generations. However, our recent research shows that different groups of people perceive and respond to these environmental in different ways.

We have examined how various Norwegian age groups relate to environmental concerns – and found that young adults aged 18-34 in general are more concerned with the environment than the older generations aged +55, and this influences how they travel. Below, we will look at some of the biggest differences, and how it affects the travel and tourism industry.

Our data shows that 27.56% of all Norwegians aged 18-34 find environmental concerns during their travels important. They are very aware of their impact and their carbon footprint, and this may eventually affect their travel behaviour, before, during and after a holiday. In contrast, the number of Norwegians older than 55 finding environmental concerns important is lower with 20.27% stating that they find sustainability and environmental concerns important when travelling.

While we cannot be sure about, why there is such a difference, other studies indicate that young adults have a higher level of environmental awareness, and this might be one of the reasons why environmental concerns matter more to young adults.

Travelling with new transportation modes
One of the environmental concerns affects modes of transportation. In recent years, we have observed a significant increase in the number of travellers being willing to travel using alternative transportation. While the most significant increase is seen amongst younger generations, it is also clear that older generations are increasingly becoming aware of alternative transportation.

Our data indicate that more than half of Norwegians aged between 18 and 34 wish to travel by train or bus, however, it is only one in every four in the +55 category. Consequently, young adults are more prone to use alternative modes of transportation to reach their destination, if the opportunity arises.

There are different patterns of travel preferences among different age groups in Norway. Especially, environmental awareness is a key factor influencing the choice of transportation modes, particularly among younger generations. However, we also note that environmental concerns do not just influence transportation, but also other aspects of Norwegians’ travel behaviour. Currently, almost one of every three young Norwegian traveller find environmental concerns important, but we see this number increase year on year. It is therefore an important factor that all destinations, cities, tour operators, etc., should be aware of. If they want to attract high-spending travellers, it is a must to communicate their sustainability actions and offer meaningful value.