Green or gimmick? The truth behind sustainable travel claims

A couple months back, during my short trip planning, I came across green leaf insignias on many of the hotel listings. The eco-friendly, responsible tourism and sustainable travel labels were everywhere. After doing a little more research, I found one of the properties claiming to be eco-friendly still used a lot of single-use plastic and changed out linens daily as a default service. That moment raised the question many travelers are beginning to ask: How real is “sustainable travel” and how much of it is just clever marketing?

An industry under pressure

The travel industry is currently under tremendous pressure to show they are environmentally friendly. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, tourism generates approximately 8-10% of total global carbon emissions. Companies in this industry want to be able to say they are part of the solution due to the increase in climate awareness. However, many companies engage in a practice called “greenwashing”. Greenwashing means making claims that seem to be sustainable, but there are no real actions associated with those claims.

Selective sustainability in action

Based on my conversations with hotel associates and from my own observations, one of the most prevalent forms of greenwashing that I have seen is through selective sustainability. A hotel may highlight their towel reuse program but completely ignore a multitude of larger issues, such as energy consumption or waste management. This gives the impression of responsibility when, in fact, it does nothing to address the overall environmental footprint of the hospitality property. This may not be done on purpose and can also reflect a fragmented knowledge regarding sustainability as a whole.

Certification confusion

There is an issue with multiple certifications being unclear or inconsistent. Many of the certified accommodations travellers use for eco-labels don’t all mean the same thing; however, many travellers are struggling to identify if the accommodation they wish to stay in is actually sustainable. The difference between the intent to be a sustainable traveller and knowing if the property they have chosen is sustainable has allowed for the propagation of misleading eco-label claims.

Real sustainability stands out

On the other hand, there are indeed independent properties that do all they can to create actual sustainability into their practices and procedures; including harvesting rainwater, utilising solar energy, using local food for their restaurants and participating in their surrounding community’s benefit. These examples of sustainability are usually not very well marketed; however, over time, many of them are the most meaningful.

Transparency equals authentic sustainability

Transparency is what sets authentic sustainable travel apart from all other travel experiences. Authentic sustainable travel efforts and accomplishments can be documented and articulated. When hotels publish their energy efficiency/energy savings, provide waste reduction measures, and share their overall impact on the local communities, they have far more credibility than hotels that only use buzzwords or other marketing words. Likewise, airlines that utilize Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or verified carbon offset programs for their overall impact on the environment have made a more meaningful commitment.

Conscious travellers are responsible, too

Travellers should not assume that “green” actions are just associated with the “eco-label” they choose. A traveller can do their part by focusing on what is the specific property’s sustainability performance. For example: Does the property disclose their sustainability measures in detail? Are there ANY verifiable third party certifications? Are local communities being compensated from tourism? Typically, the answers to these questions reveal more than any marketing claims would indicate.

Going past just marketing

Sustainable travel does not have a concrete answer yes or no, it has varying degrees of sustainability. The travel industry is working towards developing sustainable travel options, yet, perception can sometimes outpace reality. As more and more people become aware of sustainability and as the travel industry is held accountable, this gap between truly sustainable practices and travel industry gimmicks will become smaller. In the meantime, one way to help close the gap between perception and reality is to make informed decisions about your choices in travel today. Many items and destinations are marketed as being “green” when, in fact, they do not represent true sustainability; therefore, the true impact of an item or destination may not be apparent on the surface, but it reaches much deeper than what the label indicates.

Ravi Gosain, President, IATO