Green Hospitality: Bringing Eco-Conscious Guest Experiences to the Next Level
As more and more travellers are becoming increasingly conscious of environmental issues, the hospitality industry is diving into responsible travel whilst alleviating rising climate change concerns. From reducing energy consumption to minimising waste, hotels are seeking innovative ways to minimise their ecological footprint.
In this blogpost, we explore ways to harness in a strong business case for sustainability, key initiatives and best practices for hotels, featuring insights from Samantha Manuel, Group Director, Digital Marketing & Reputation Management at Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, Gerald Ng, VP, Regulatory Affairs and Sustainability at Changi Airport Group and Marta Grutka, Global Brand Expert & Strategist, ex-Travel + Leisure Co.
The Business Case for Sustainability
Sustainability is emerging as a business imperative for hotels as guest preferences increasingly favour eco-friendly practices. Guests are actively seeking accommodations that align with their values, choosing hotels that demonstrate a commitment to reducing environmental footprint. This shift in demand allows sustainable hotels to attract a growing segment of eco-conscious travellers, driving higher occupancy rates.
According to Samantha, pumping investments for sustainability often lead to operational efficiencies, such as energy and water savings, which can reduce costs and improve profitability. These savings can be reinvested into enhancing guest experiences, further setting the hotel apart from competitors.
She further adds on that by integrating environment-friendly practices into their operations and being transparent about what they hope to achieve, it will enhance brand reputation and loyalty, as guests appreciate and reward businesses that prioritize social responsibility.
For Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, the “Sampaguita” (or Jasmine, refers to the national flower of the Philippines) project not only underscores its commitment to sustainability but also enriches the guest experience by offering authentic cultural and eco-friendly experiences. This initiative has significantly boosted sales by attracting eco-conscious travellers who seek meaningful connections with the environment and local culture.
Key Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts has adopted a step-by-step approach to its sustainability programs, initially rolling out in its more established hotel properties, beginning with energy efficiency measures and waste reduction, including recycling and minimizing single-use plastics, and sourcing local, sustainable products to support eco-friendly operations. Some of their hotels also introduced vertical garden farm-to-table efforts, further improving their sustainability efforts and providing more unique guest experiences.
Their compliance with various sustainability certifications and partnerships further underscores this commitment, while ongoing staff training ensures that these practices are entrenched within the organization. This phased implementation supports a holistic approach to reducing environmental impact and providing guests with meaningful, sustainable travel experiences.
Measuring Sustainability Success
Gerald mentions that it is crucial for the airport community to incorporate sustainability practices into their day-to-day activities and planning for airport-wide events. As travellers look for environmental features when they arrive or depart via Changi Airport, introducing green spaces within the architecture will be strong economic incentive to drive customer satisfaction rates further and ultimately, solidifying it as an attractive and vibrant hub.
Sustainability Marketing and Communication
From Marta’s perspective, for hotels to infuse sustainability into their marketing strategies that inform travellers, from solivagants to eco-friendly groups, of their ambitions, she advises creating “on brand operations” that reflect their commitment to making a positive social impact and create truly sustainable experiences across the entire ecosystem. Brands that take this approach can start by aligning their SOPs with a clear business purpose and vision that reflects their authenticity and USP.
In her own words, she mentions “if you commit to what you stand for and empower your entire organization to bring this to life in everything you do, you will stand out from the crowd.”
She even quoted an ongoing initiative within the travel industry, known as “Impact Trailblazers”, which Rosewood Hotels is championing to not only challenge their properties to go beyond their current goals, but to inspire new benchmarks for their peers across the industry.
As for Gerald, when sustainability is embedded in companies’ business strategies, they will garner greater trust from consumers and business partners, thereby building on brand loyalty and encouraging further engagement with them.
Avoiding Greenwashing and Paving for a Sustainable Future in Hospitality
Marta also mentions that hotel brands need to loop their executive committee in to set realistic goals based on an honest assessment of how they are performing across the entire ecosystem and supply chain. If there is a lack of understanding of the positive and negative impacts their internal practices may bring about, it will be harder to be fully transparent externally, so she advises using precise language and avoiding buzzwords like "eco-friendly" or "green" without detailed definitions.
“It is also important to call out areas for improvement when creating a more equitable and sustainable future. We should reinforce our commitment to making consistent progress – with measurable milestones you want to hit and tangible evidence that you are on the way to meeting them, using reliable and recognized standards, third-party audits, etc.,” she explained.
Gerald further adds on prior to any sustainability communications, fact-check any claims and be grounded in the messaging, avoiding any superlatives such as 'first', top' etc as it detracts from the messaging.
In addition, Samantha believes it is paramount to focus on transparency, use accessible language and avoid exaggerations, ensuring that all claims are backed by credible sources or certifications. There is a need to maintain consistency across all platforms, from website content to guest communications, and regularly update guests and stakeholders on the progress. Lastly, we should prioritize authentic messaging that highlights long-term sustainability goals and tangible impacts, building trust and demonstrating genuine commitment to environmental responsibility.
Our Contributors:
Samantha Manuel, Group Director, Digital Marketing & Reputation Management, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts
Gerald Ng, VP, Regulatory Affairs and Sustainability, Changi Airport Group
Marta Grutka, Global Brand Expert & Strategist, ex-Travel + Leisure Co