The hospitality industry is one of the greatest industries in the world, accounting for approximately 3% of the total global workforce, according to EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne, a hospitality management school in Switzerland) Insights. It accounts for up to 12% of every regional workforce in the UK, making it 5% of the GDP.
The industry is undergoing a green transformation, with hotels, resorts and even restaurants integrating sustainability into their daily operations. As climate change and environmental concerns gain prominence, travellers increasingly seek accommodations that align with their eco-conscious values. Sustainable hospitality reduces the carbon footprint of hotels and enhances guest experiences.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) have recently paced up efforts to standardise sustainability within the hospitality sector. This is a critical development as both businesses and travellers are increasingly demanding clear and standardised benchmarks to evaluate sustainability and eco-conscious practices. Establishing a more unified and reliable collaboration with organisations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
EEA and AAHOA’s New Policies to Ensure Sustainable Hospitality
Unifying Sustainability Standards: This initiative is created to ensure consistency and reliable benchmarks amongst the hospitality industry. This is in response to serve the increasing demand from travellers for eco-conscious accommodations to inculcate eco-friendly practices. They are working to make this globally recognised so that it is a transparent yet achievable criteria for properties and can be evaluated with ease.
Addressing Greenwashing: The risk of “greenwashing” is increasing as businesses wrongly claim sustainable efforts. The new policies will directly address this and create certifications and guidelines that businesses must adhere to, which will mean genuinity.
Integrating Sustainability into Business Practices: The organisations aim to encourage energy efficiency, waste management, sustainable sourcing and water conservation across food and lodging properties.
Global Impact and Local Empowerment: Encouraging properties to work with local and sustainable producers will result in reduced carbon footprint and also support conservation efforts, which will have a ripple effect that not just helps the environment but also these small businesses.
Eco-conscious Traveller Engagement: This policy will prompt more travellers to engage more actively by offering accessible and straightforward information on practices and certifications. This will encourage engagement, and travellers can make better choices when picking a place to stay or eat.
Green and Fair Holidays
Green and fair vacations are being prioritised by eco-conscious tourists, who are transforming the travel industry into a sustainable one. This includes selecting stays that prioritise ethical labour practices, community support and most importantly, sustainability. Staying at properties that reduce waste, source goods ethically, and support conservation initiatives is part of a sustainable holiday. This change promotes locally produced goods and services, which boosts local economies and lessens the impact on the environment and greenwashing.
How to Identify a Sustainable Hotel
To ensure your stay is environmentally responsible, look out for the following indicators:
Eco-certifications: Recognised certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Green Key, and EarthCheck confirm a hotel’s commitment to sustainability.
Transparent in Green Initiatives: Properties that transparently speak about their initiatives to preserve the earth by talking about the practices that take place within them show accountability.
Guest Reviews: One of the most reliable sources to gain certainty on whether the property is, in fact, sustainable, reviews on the properties’ website, Google reviews, and TripAdvisor are also very helpful.
Key Sustainable Practices in Hospitality
Waste Reduction: Strict recycling regulations, elimination of single-use plastics and the composting of food waste are all part of hotels’ extensive waste management initiatives. To reduce plastic waste, some hotels include biodegradable and refillable bathroom amenities, as well as refillable water stations.
Energy Efficiency: Big properties and lodging places require a lot of energy to operate lights, air conditioning, etc. and to provide sustainable hospitality, energy usage must have better alternatives as it needs to be decreased. Many hotels have been investing in sustainable technology to operate their hotels by introducing sensors within the rooms that turn energy off if there is no movement in the room, providing smart thermostats that lessen the bad emissions and transitioning to LED lighting.
Water Conservation and Recycling: Water-saving measures include low-flow showerheads, timed water use in showers and programs for linen reuse. Some hotels take it a step further; for example, Hotel Liro in Albania uses recycled ocean water to power its swimming pool.
Hotel Liro in Albania, Ocean water pool, Credits: Ekjot Oberoi Sustainable Sourcing: The world can be in for huge changes if the food and lodging industry partner with local producers that aren’t necessarily well-known but do produce sustainably and responsibly. This way, they not just practise sustainable sourcing but also promote small businesses that are doing their part to save the environment by introducing them to big establishments.
Renewable Energy: Properties across the world are using energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Hotels like Zoku Hotel in Amsterdam have solar panels and a “green roof” and are big on using technology to support their idea of producing their own energy.
Guest Engagement: Many hotels organise workshops where they teach guests to give objects a “second life” by showing them how to create artefacts or decorations out of things that do not have a use anymore. This is a great approach to educate guests and make them environmentally responsible while they have fun. Promoting practices like reusing linens and towels and using recycling bins could help, too. Sustainable luxury hotels can encourage their guests to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviours while enjoying high-end, sustainable services by offering information on sustainability and transparency on what happens within the hotel.
Eco-Friendly Food Services: One of the biggest issues that the hospitality industry faces is food waste. Some hotels and restaurants use apps that help utilise food completely by selling off what is left at the end of the day for up to 80% discount on apps like Too Good to Go, rather than binning it in order to reduce food waste.
Sustainable Transportation: To minimise carbon footprints (and for good business), hotels are providing shuttle services, bike rentals and electric vehicle charging stations. To encourage guests to be environmentally conscious without sacrificing luxury, some upscale hotels also provide electric cars for their concierge service.
Avoiding Plastic: Sustainable hotels worldwide prioritise eliminating single-use plastics. Vignette Collection Hotel in Lima has successfully become the first in the world that has become completely free of single-use plastic, which leaves other properties with no excuse not to take a step towards an environmentally friendly future.
Green Purchasing and Composting: Composting organic waste that comes from fruits and vegetable peels can be decomposed and turned into nutrient-rich soil for the hotel gardens; this, in turn, reduces landfill emissions. Purchasing furniture made out of naturally fallen trees and dead plants instead of ordering to cut fresh trees for the same can be a great way of recycling mutually with nature.
10 Ways the Hospitality Industry is becoming more sustainable, Infographic created on Canva
ESG, Green Energy Transitions and Eco-Conscious Tourism
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria are becoming important in the hospitality sector. Investors as well as travellers are paying attention to hotels that engage in eco-conscious tourism, green energy transitions, and reducing carbon emissions. Sustainability in hospitality is evolving into a normality rather than a fashionable trend.
Leaders in the hospitality sector have taken notice of sustainable hospitality, highlighting its significance in influencing travel in the future. According to the founder of Virgin Hotels, Richard Branson, “Sustainability is not just good for the planet, it’s good business. Consumers want responsible brands, and hotels must adapt to meet this demand.” Joan Roca, the renowned chef of El Celler de Can Roca, encapsulates this sentiment: “The more sustainable we are, the healthier we are. The more human we are, the better because to cook is to care.”
These views emphasise how sustainability and authentic hospitality are mutually exclusive. In addition to protecting the environment, the hospitality sector improves guest experiences and strengthens the bond between hosts and guests by using eco-friendly practices.
Hotels Leading the Sustainability Movement
Several lodging establishments and hospitality companies are establishing the standard for environmentally friendly travel. One notable example is 1 hotel, a chain of upscale, environmentally conscious hotels that carefully incorporates sustainability into its daily operations with features like bamboo bedding, in-room water filters, and ethically sourced minibar snacks and wooden room keys.
Other hotels setting the standard for environmentally conscious lodging include:
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba- The Caribbean’s first certified carbon-neutral resort
Explora Patagonia, Chile- The property is committed to conservation and reforestation in national parks
Treehotel, Sweden- This hotel offers eco-friendly treehouses constructed from renewable materials.
In addition to hotels, several restaurants are leading the way in the sustainability movement:
Silo, London, UK- Known as the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, Silo cuts out packaging waste by procuring supplies from nearby farmers and composting all food scraps.
Roganic, Hong Kong- This Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in using seasonal and hyper-local ingredients, procuring seafood sustainably and composting kitchen scraps.
Septime, Paris, France- A restaurant that specialises in organic produce, ethical meat purchasing and a zero-waste mentality.
Conclusion
Sustainability has become a need rather than an amenity when it comes to hospitality. The hospitality industry needs to up its game as the world is transitioning into an eco-conscious one. Tourists are being more mindful when it comes to investing their money and have started preferring greener properties and sustainable food alternatives. With the efforts of the EEA’s work on emphasising the value of uniform standards and their capacity to transform the sector, the hospitality sector is making contributions by using renewable energy, empowering locals by buying their produce, cutting waste and conserving water. However, this will only be successful if more and more properties and restaurants transition themselves to be more eco-conscious, be consistent and strict with it, and promote responsible travel as a new standard. As they say- the more, the merrier!
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