World Environment Day - The Importance of Going Green For Hoteliers

With recently felt global inflation and looming climate worries, plus increasing competition in the travel sector, these are rapidly changing times for hoteliers. However, the sustainable tourism movement may offer something of an antidote to these unprecedented challenges.

This article details the current sustainable travel landscape and ways you can maximise sustainable travel opportunities for your hotel business in 2023. 

Environmental, social, and governance initiatives will increase your revenue 

According to a recent report by HotelTechReport, hotels worldwide are beginning to recognize the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities, for investors, stakeholders, staff, and guests alike. These ESG initiatives take into account: 

• Environmental considerations such as conservation of water, whether energy is being used efficiency, and reduction of waste

• Social considerations such as fair pay and labour conditions, diversity and inclusion policies, and investment in local businesses and communities 

• Governance includes track record of board members, ethical business practices, and compliance with laws/regulations

Are you implementing ESG initiatives in your hotel business? Not only will these actions protect the planet, but a sustainability strategy will increase your revenue, as using and managing resources more effectively will result in cost savings. Additionally, if you can market your sustainability initiatives effectively, you will stand out from the competition and attract a wider range of traveller segments. 

As a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the global authority in sustainable tourism and travel, Hotelbeds are committed to supporting travel trade client partners to maximise opportunities in this growing market. Our own ESG commitments include our Plastic Free Hotel scheme, where qualifying hotels can be seen by thousands of potential travel buyers, with more than 38,000 properties already taking advantage of our offerings.

We’ve also made the Climate Change Pledge and achieved Carbon Neutral status for three years running. Read more about our ESG initiatives in our report here. 

The demand for sustainable properties is growing exponentially 

Hotelbeds has seen a 30% growth in travellers booking eco-friendly hotels through our Green Hotels programme over the past year. With the rising awareness of the environmental impacts of travel, known as ‘eco-guilt’, it is clear that more travellers are becoming concerned about the negative impact of their trip and are looking to mitigate this through sustainable travel; in fact, 85.6% of travellers are willing to pay more for a hotel with sustainable credentials (Operto). 

With the ground-breaking development of carbon positive hotels around the world, like Norway’s Six Senses Svart, it is clear that the demand for eco-conscious travel is certainly not going anywhere and investors are seeing the endless potential of the sustainable travel movement. This innovative project sees an entirely self-sustaining hotel which is off-grid and carbon neutral developed in conjunction with the natural environment and constructed with minimal disruption to the surrounding land and sea. More than just a hotel, Six Senses Svart combines environment, sustainability, technology, wellness, and mindfulness. 

As a hotelier, it is essential to ensure that you are catering to this growing demand for sustainable properties, both in the short- and long-term. Whether you have the resources to build the next Six Senses Svart, or are simply making switches like plastic-free toiletries, you can take advantage of the growing demand for sustainable hotels across traveller segments globally.  

53% of travellers want to travel more sustainably, but not enough hotels are marketing their offerings 

Whether it’s individual boutiques or large chains, more hotels are making sustainable choices, which is vital in the current economic and environmental climate.

By listing your ESG initiatives on search engines and focusing your marketing efforts, whether it’s zero plastic, green energy, supporting local businesses, or simply providing recycling bins, you can attract more traveller segments who are primed to pay more. There is significant opportunity here since, according to a report by Booking.com, only one third of sustainable hotels are actively communicating their sustainability efforts. 

Attribute-based selling is an effective way to ensure sustainability-minded guests can find your business during their research. If your hotel has any eco-credentials, you can benefit from ‘green filters’ on search sites; travellers are increasingly searching for ‘eco’ hotels as part of their research, so ensuring your hotel is listed in the optimal way is guaranteed to increase your hotel’s occupancy. 

Think you qualify or want to learn more? See how other hotels across the globe are benefiting from our Green Hotels Programme and get seen by thousands of travel sellers here. 

Beat plastic pollution

This year’s theme for World Environment Day, Beat Plastic Pollution, draws attention to one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time.

Thankfully, travellers are increasingly looking for plastic-free offerings; in fact, Hotelbeds has seen an 84% increase in our plastic-free hotel portfolio, with 30% more customers seeking both an eco-friendly and plastic-free hotel in the past year.

If you have a plastic-free hotel, this is a crucial opportunity to clearly gain visibility and increase your occupancy. Learn more here. 

Take advantage of rising interest in regenerative travel through high-margin ancillaries

Some travellers are looking to create a net positive impact from their trip, known as regenerative travel. Could you leverage this upcoming trend and connect with any local businesses or charities to offer regenerative ancillaries? Or perhaps you could invest a portion of each booking into a local community group or environmental project. 

Hotelbeds offers hoteliers access to a network of over 71,000 hard-to-access B2B travel buyers such as tour operators, retail travel agents, airline websites, and loyalty schemes in over 140 source markets worldwide. These channels provide hotel partners with returning guests that book further in advance, cancel less, spend more in-destination and stay longer.

Qualifying hotels can benefit from exposure to more than 60,000 client partners of Hotelbeds and Bedsonline – including travel agents, tour operators, airlines, and points redemption schemes – via a green filter that includes details of certifications and offer tags.

The pivotal role hoteliers play in sustainable travel

As demand for sustainable travel continues to increase, hotels who are willing to adapt and pivot will certainly succeed. Environmentalism is not a passing trend, so ensure your travel business is primed to help sustainable travellers invest in your offerings and protect the planet for years to come. 

Hotelbeds: making travel a force for good