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Why Greenwashing is a Dead-End Strategy for Modern Hospitality
Long gone are the days when a housekeeping card asking guests to preserve their towels and bedding was the highlight of a hotel's sustainability programme. What was considered a significant effort a decade ago is a basic minimum today. Yet, many hospitality businesses still wear their plastic management policies like a badge of honour and struggle to answer the question of what their long-term sustainable strategy is.
Here is why treating an eco-conscious approach to travel as an extra PR point doesn't work anymore.
The damage is so much bigger now
Travel is no longer a treat for the wealthy. From a mindful exploring of the world, travelling has turned into a social media competition, bringing a massive change to the tourism industry.
The number of international travellers is growing year by year for nearly every destination. Low-cost flights, ease of travel, and the rise of private accommodation significantly contribute to this trend. At the same time, the length of stay is declining, especially for European destinations, with "weekend resets" and "staycations" slowly replacing carefully planned annual vacations.
That means:
More international flights, long-range bus rides and car travel.
The rise of affordable cruise options, with entertainment programmes changing to cater to a younger audience.
Growing market of seasonal accommodation with short-term financial goals.
Higher frequency of complete room make-overs for hotels and guest houses.
The result:
CO₂ emissions hitting new global records every year.
Seasonal accommodation with no regard for sustainability are slowly taking over in traditionally expensive destinations.
Hotels are forced to compete not only against each other but against small local accommodations, too, using any means of marketing efforts, including makeshift "green policies".
Marketers are overwhelmed, having to frame low-cost sustainable efforts as global-impact corporate decisions.
Altogether, these create an environment where travel industry has to operate in mode demanding and stressful reality while still showing that it cares for the planet.
Responsibility is often shifted to guests
Modern realities require us to stop placing responsibility for our sustainable input on guests and shift the focus towards the real impact that the travel industry has on global wellbeing.
"A towel on the rack means "I'll use it again""...
"As a part of our initiative to save water, please refill your bottle from the cooler next to the elevator"...
We call it sustainable service, while many guests call it saving on labour and water for hotel bills. When we ask the guest to make sustainable decisions on our behalf, we often explain our efforts in vague taglines like "save the planet" or "in sync with nature". We mean to inspire travellers to contribute while often failing to explain our part of the deal and what has been done by the business beyond the towel policies.
The same applies to calls for donations. While many guests are happy to participate, the size and the outcome of these donations are often hidden in a footer link of a corporate website. That makes guests feel like lonely contributors to an unclear cause.
"Green" claims are now more regulated and fact-checked
While some hotels take concrete steps that require investment and a strategic approach, like solar energy solutions, others boast "eco-luxury" badges after replacing single-use shampoos yet still print every single bill and have no food waste control. Self-reported certifications like Booking's "Travel Sustainable" label contribute to the problem, as they are viewed as potential revenue hooks rather than reflectors of real impact.
Sustainability audits by accredited bodies are often postponed by hotels due to the involved cost of both inspections and the following changes. However, genuine sustainability practices—like in-house bottling plants, advanced energy grids, local sourcing, and wastewater treatment—actually drive down operational costs long-term.
Today, greenwashing is no longer just a lazy marketing shortcut but a high-stakes corporate liability. Modern travellers, particularly luxury consumers and younger demographics, possess unprecedented access to information and can easily spot sounding "green" from being "green". And many of them report it as one of the reasons to choose a particular destination.
On the bright side
Slowly but steadily the industry seems to be waking up to global environmental concerns. Luckily, there are factors that make the transition to sustainability easier than before.
The guests are more environmentally conscious. They ask questions, they see when hotels are trying to trick them by offering drinks in paper cups yet with a plastic straw. If they practise using less plastic and sorting waste back home, your wooden hair comb packed in non-recyclable wrapping is less than impressive to them.
The younger workforce is more excited about ecological improvements. They see the drastic impact of environmental changes on places they live in and travel to. They also understand that if nothing is done, they are the ones facing decades of trying to navigate living and raising families in a potentially unhealthy environment.
Sustainable approach is becoming a point of pride for destinations. Cities, regions, and countries often care more about the negative impact of tourism than businesses. The result – many modern and creative campaigns that motivate tourists and hotels to pay attention to their actions. Palau Pledge is an example of a brilliant approach to sustainability-centred destination marketing.
Suppliers follow the global trend. With more and more businesses seeking partners that can support their sustainable practices, the demand is finally being met by goods and services providers.
What can be done today
Baby steps are still steps. The worst scenario is moving forward once and then taking two steps back. But even slow yet steady progress can make great changes in the long run.
Understand that we all exist on the same planet.
Yes, the harsh reality is that the global environmental crisis affects everyone, including your hotel, your business reports, and even your personal life.
Act like you mean it.
Stop treating sustainable goals as something to look at after we discuss the commercials and step out of the high season. Look for small operational improvements across departments instead of delaying your first steps until you have a perfect strategy. you
Involve community.
Engage your teams, ask guests for ideas. Approach your local community that may already have ready answers to your question of how to make a real impact in your location. Schools, town councils, and volunteer organisations always appreciate support from businesses.
Great example: Banana Leaf Slipper Project by Mantis Collection empowers local communities by involving them in the handmade production of guest slippers made of recycled banana leaves.
Make the efforts "effortless".
The first steps are challenging. But once green efforts become a natural part of your business, they will stop being a major stressor for the team. Start with small things that look interesting to your team members and are easy to follow.
Make it fun.
"Corporate Social Responsibility" may sound boring, but it doesn't have to be boring. Creative campaigns and involving younger audiences can turn sustainable activities from dull to exciting and unique events, worthy of marketing buzz.
Great example: Junk Art Studio of LUX* Resorts invites guests of all ages to learn how to repurpose discarded materials into souvenirs.
Question your suppliers.
In their strive to position themselves as sustainable, many hotels opt for "eco" options when ordering amenities and materials, yet order from the same low-responsibility suppliers. I have seen many cases where packaging of the ordered supplies could do more environmental damage than that "safe" paper straw.
Most of the time, a simple request to avoid individual plastic packaging solves the problem, as it also removes extra cost for the producer. Plus, today there are dedicated supplier directories, like Hospitality Business Hub, that offer lists of eco-conscious suppliers that leave no questions about their sustainable policies.
Check for ready solutions.
Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel for the sake of a good marketing campaign, look for existing available options to help with your sustainable efforts. Soap For Hope, Tree-Nation, The Ocean Cleanup, and other global initiatives offer ready programs that are easy to join and provide resources to kick-start your green practices.
Great example: Six Senses has joined Recipe of Change, a global initiative convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Tourism designed to halve food waste by 2030.
Make your efforts visible.
Guests love when hotels brag about their milestones. Creating a 'hall of fame' for your sustainable achievements is a great way to appreciate their contribution and show that your green strategy doesn't only exist in spreadsheets.
Final thought
For hoteliers, the transition away from greenwashing requires a cultural shift from outward-facing promotion to inward-facing operational truth. A shift from "how can we claim being sustainable" to actually providing marketers with real data-backed talking points.
It means aligning marketing departments with engineering, procurement, and asset management teams to ensure every claim made externally is supported by operational reality. And, as practice shows, your guests will love it.
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