We Need to Rethink Sustainability in Hospitality Offerings

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Photo by Datingscout

The issue of environmental sustainability seems to be on everyone’s minds, and lips, today. The topic drives political discourse, shapes the ways businesses operate, and informs the decisions consumers make. 

The topic of sustainability in the hospitality industry, however, is a bit more complex. At first blush, it might seem that the aims of travel and tourism are antithetical to those of environmental sustainability. Isn’t travel, after all, inherently hard on the environment, inevitably generating significant greenhouse emissions and increasing resource consumption?

Well, yes and no. Travel and tourism do take a toll on the environment, but they don’t have to. With a bit of strategy, it’s quite possible to integrate sustainability into the hospitality industry without compromising growth or profitability. 

Doing so, indeed, isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also great for your brand. It all begins by rethinking sustainability in your hospitality offerings.

Rethinking Food Sources

One of the most important ways that you can integrate sustainability into your hospitality business model is by reimagining how you source your food. You may already be purchasing organic and non-genetically modified (GMO) products. However, if you want to truly make a positive impact on the environment while simultaneously “earning” the sustainability brand you’re pursuing, then you’re going to need to do more. It does not matter how earth-friendly your food may be, for example, if you’re having to ship it from the far corners of the globe.

A truly sustainable approach to sourcing food for your hotel or restaurant is to buy local. Not only will you be supporting the local economy, but you will also be slashing the amount of greenhouse emissions produced during transport. 

Best of all, if you require your food suppliers to deploy sustainable practices in the production of their food, you will be proactively expanding the sustainability business model beyond the confines of your business. You’ll set an important precedent for others to follow, particularly if they seek to partner with your company.

Facilitate Eco-Friendly Travel Planning

Despite the inevitable challenges of minimizing one’s environmental impact while traveling, a large and growing segment of travel consumers is looking to do precisely that. This means that considerations of sustainability are often at the forefront of their minds when planning their next excursion.

This presents an important opportunity for capturing customers who are interested in traveling sustainably but may need a bit of guidance and support. 

You might, for example, coordinate with your guests before booking to help them develop an itinerary and settle the logistics of their trip. This could include scheduling a shuttle service to and from the airport and other attractions, offering bike rentals, providing vouchers for discounted elective vehicle rentals (EV), and giving guided walking tours and maps to locations of interest that can easily be reached by foot.

Offering such a service to prospective eco-tourists can be the key determining factor when it’s time for them to select their lodgings. It’s also another way to build your sustainable brand. 

Indeed, you can even integrate these services into your marketing strategy. Social media platforms such as Instagram can be an ideal channel for showcasing your environmentally-friendly business practices and the sustainable services and amenities would-be guests can expect to enjoy if they choose your business. 

Think Outside the Box (and the Office)

When we think about sustainability, often the first things that come to mind are the old standards like recycling bins and solar panels. However, sustainable practices come in myriad shapes and forms, and it’s important to do your research to determine which solutions will best suit your business model and local needs.

The goal, above all, is to maximize your environmental impact while still protecting the interests, and the profitability, of your business. 

To do this, it helps to think a bit outside the box. For instance, if you live in an area that does not get a great deal of sunlight each year, then installing solar panels to cut your hotel or restaurant’s energy consumption might not make much financial or environmental sense. 

However, no matter where you are, all businesses use water, and all businesses could benefit the environment by practicing water conservation. So, instead of investing in solar panels, why not use those funds to install low-flow sinks, toilets, and appliances? 

Another way to think outside the box when it comes to sustainable practices in your hotel or restaurant is to consider how you might integrate remote work into your operating strategy. 

To be sure, the nature of the game is hands-on, in-person guest service. That does not mean, however, that every employee has to be on-site, all the time. Allowing some of your administrative staff to work remotely some or all of the time can help significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your organization.

The Takeaway

Practicing sustainability in the hospitality industry can be a complex endeavor. However, with a bit of creative thinking, it’s possible to embrace environmentally friendly practices that are good both for Mother Earth and for your business’s bottom line.

Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy working with clients in the tourism and hospitality industries to lower their environmental impact via our custom Green Transition Strategies.

Are you ready to take your first step towards sustainability?