A CONSCIOUS CHOICE: BOOKING.COM INTRODUCES NEW TRAVEL FEATURES MAKING IT EASIER TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD MORE MINDFULLY

New York, NY - November 15, 2021 – Booking.com believes travel is a force for good - broadening horizons, reducing barriers and bringing people closer together, if done with respect for the world’s local communities and environments. Throughout the global pandemic, Americans have become more mindful, with an increased focus on protecting the planet, advocating for a diverse and truly inclusive society, and a renewed importance on work-life balance for well-being. As international borders open, Booking.com is making it easier to get back out there to experience the world in a more mindful way through the launch of new features that enable travelers to Travel Sustainable, Travel Proud and Travel Work-Friendly. To celebrate these new features, three exclusive trips are being offered in beloved American cities for $20.21 as we near the end of the year and look to a more mindful future.

With 66%* of American travelers stating they want to stay in a sustainable accommodation in the upcoming year, the brand-new, first of its kind Travel Sustainable badge makes finding and booking sustainable stays easier than ever. The Travel Proud badge denotes properties that have gone through Booking.com’s Proud Hospitality program training and are committed to offering more inclusive and welcoming experiences, which is more important than ever given over half (61%)** of American LGTBQ+ travelers reporting they have experienced some form of discrimination when traveling. In this new remote-working world, the Work-Friendly badge was developed to find vacation home properties, which almost half (45%)*** of Americans prefer to stay in, with amenities that allow travelers the ease of working from a new destination that they can explore once the laptop is put away.

To celebrate the thousands of properties available on Booking.com helping to bring new travel experiences to consumers, the global travel leader is making three exclusive, epic stays available: a Sustainable Stay at Mr. C in Miami, Travel Proud Trip at Moxy Chelsea in NYC and Work-Friendly Getaway at Level in Los Angeles. Bookers of Mr. C Miami, one of the first properties to receive the Travel Sustainable badge, will be treated to a farm-to-table dinner, a visit to a top-rated green marina, guided bike tour, and more. In New York City, guests staying at Travel Proud property Moxy Chelsea will enjoy a Broadway show, dinner at an LGBTQ+-owned restaurant, tickets to a museum dedicated to queer artists, and a walking tour showcasing moments in LGBTQ+ history. To achieve true work-life balance, bookers of the Level Los Angeles, offering the Work-Friendly badge, will be treated to a massage, guided hiking trip, meditation session, and more. All three experiences are available for exclusive one-time bookings on Booking.com starting December 6, 2021 at 12:00PM ET, for a two-night stay December 10 - 12, 2021 for $20.21.

“We’ve watched the world undergo countless challenges and changes over the past two years, so it’s no surprise that travelers’ values have shifted and are impacting the way they decide to rediscover the world again,” said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com. “At Booking.com, we must not only adapt to changing consumer perspectives, but also pave the way for a brighter travel future - from protecting the planet to ensuring everyone has inclusive travel experiences. We’re continuously innovating to make it easier to find the perfect place to stay and the recent launch of our new badges is just one step in our journey and commitment in helping Americans make more mindful and conscious travel choices.”

Making sustainable travel choices easier for everyone

With more than 28 million listings on Booking.com, it is increasingly important to showcase the impactful efforts accommodation partners are taking on their important journeys to create more sustainable experiences, and in turn, make it easier for travelers to find a sustainable way to stay. Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge is a credible, globally relevant sustainability measure that will provide highly coveted information to travelers looking to make more sustainable travel choices. The badge is available to any kind of property that has implemented a combination of sustainable practices that meet the requisite impact threshold for their destination. Designed to be applicable to a wide range of property types, from apartments, B&Bs and holiday homes to hotels, resorts and even treehouses, and adaptable to local realities and considerations, the initiative is a first of its kind in the industry. The goal of the badge is to make credible recognition of impactful sustainability efforts attainable for more properties worldwide and to provide travelers with a transparent, consistent and easy-to-understand way to identify a wider range of more sustainable stays, no matter where they want to travel. The Travel Sustainable badge and program helps reward and further encourage all accommodation providers to take the next steps on their individual sustainability journeys, ultimately increasing the overall amount of sustainable accommodation options available.

More welcoming stays for everyone

Almost two-thirds (63%)** of LGTBQ+ travelers have stated they have had uncomfortable or less-than-welcoming experiences at a property where they were staying. Booking.com is committed to supporting accommodation partners in delivering more inclusive and welcoming experiences through the Proud Hospitality training program. Booking.com partners can become a Proud Certified property by participating in a 75-minute online training session developed in partnership with HospitableMe. After completing the online course and making a commitment to deliver a more inclusive experience, Proud Certified partners will receive a Travel Proud badge on their property page to show potential guests that they can rely on a welcoming experience. 

Work from anywhere

As the pandemic has made remote work ubiquitous for many Americans, more travelers than ever are seeking the freedom that comes with being able to work from anywhere. Booking.com is making it easier than ever for digital nomads to find what they’re looking for with the Work-Friendly badge, requiring properties meet high quality service requirements, including great reviews and a cleanliness score of 8 or higher, as well as key amenities, such as free wi-fi and dedicated laptop-friendly workspaces. For travelers looking for longer stays at vacation rental properties offering the Work-Friendly badge, Booking.com recently launched extended stays beyond 30-nights, up to 45-nights, in the U.S., with special rates both weekly and monthly.

Almost two years of a global pandemic has forced us to make the most of what was on our doorsteps, rekindling our relationship with the community around us, and impacting the way we think about traveling as we seek to be more mindful about every trip we take. More than half (53%)**** of Americans agree it’s important that their trip is beneficial to the local community at their destination so they can have a positive impact with 64%**** wanting the money that they spend when traveling to go back to the local community and 65%**** seeking authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture. In addition to a more mindful approach to travel, the important benefits that travel has on health and wellbeing are now being acknowledged. As restrictions begin to ease, getting away on vacation will become the new form of self-care in 2022, with over three-quarters of Americans (76%)**** affirming that travel helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other forms of rest and relaxation.

Booking.com is committed to helping create a better, brighter future for travel, connecting travelers with places to stay that reflects a renewed outlook on rediscovering the world in a more mindful way. For more information on Proud Certified properties, visit booking.com/proud. For more information on sustainability at Booking.com, visit sustainability.booking.com.

Methodology:

*Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 29,349 respondents across 30 countries and territories (1,000 from USA, 1,007 from Canada, 1,000 from Mexico, 964 from Colombia, 1,000 from Brazil, 1,000 from Argentina, 999 from Australia, 941 from New Zealand, 1,001 from Spain, 1,000 from Italy, 1,000 from France, 1,000 from UK, 1,000 from Germany, 1,003 from Netherlands, 986 from Denmark, 1,000 from Sweden, 997 from Croatia, 1,005 from Russia, 1,003 from Israel, 1,000 from India, 1,000 from China, 1,005 from Hong Kong, 968 from Thailand, 963 from Singapore, 1,000 from Taiwan, 1,005 from Vietnam, 1,000 from South Korea, 1,000 from Japan, 1,002 from South Africa and 500 from Kenya ). In order to participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have traveled at least once in the past 12 months and must be planning to travel in 2021, and be either the primary decision maker or involved in the decision making of their travel. The survey was taken online and took place in March 2021.

**Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 3,052 LGBTQ+ travellers from the United States (500), Canada (400), the UK (500), the Netherlands (251), Germany (501), France (500), Australia (300) and New Zealand (100). The survey was taken online and took place in June & July 2021.

​​***Research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who are planning to travel in the next 12 months. In total 28,042 respondents across 28 countries and territories were polled (including 1003 from Argentina, 1002 from Australia, 1000 from Brazil, 1001 from Canada, 1000 from China, 1002 from Colombia, 1001 from Croatia, 1003 from Denmark, 1002 from France, 1005 from Germany, 1004 from Hong Kong, 1000 from India, 1002 from Israel, 1000 from Italy, 1000 from Japan, 1002 from Mexico, 1000 from Netherlands, 1000 from New Zealand, 1003 from Russia, 1000 from Singapore, 1003 from South Korea, 1005 from Spain, 1001 from Sweden, 1000 from Taiwan, 1003 from Thailand, 1000 from UK, 1000 from USA and 1000 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in January 2021.

****Travel Predictions 2022 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total 24,055 respondents across 31 countries and territories were polled (including 501 from Argentina, 1003 from Australia, 500 from Belgium, 1001 from Brazil, 500 from Canada, 1000 from China, 1007 from Colombia, 1001 from Croatia, 508 from Denmark, 1002 from France, 1000 from Germany, 1005 from Hong Kong, 1000 from India, 502 from Israel, 1003 from Italy, 1002 from Japan, 500 from Mexico, 501 from The Netherlands, 501 from New Zealand, 500 from Peru, 1000 from Russia, 1005 from Singapore, 1002 from South Korea, 1002 from Spain, 501 from Sweden, 501 from Switzerland, 504 from Taiwan, 500 from Thailand, 1000 from the UK, 1002 from the US and 501 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in August 2021.

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