Common Misconceptions about Communicating Sustainability in Tourism
Sustainability is everywhere in people’s lives these days. They encounter it in the supermarket, at the drugstore, on social media, at work… But even though the topic is more present in general, when we interact with sustainable accommodation providers, interested parties, and other tourism professionals, we still encounter the same misconceptions as ten years ago. |
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„We are not ready yet. We do not want to announce until everything is perfect.“
It takes a lot of courage to be visible, especially when it comes to an issue as emotionally charged as sustainability. However, it is crucial not to wait until everything is perfect, but to also celebrate and communicate the first milestones. At the same time, consumers should not only take a critical look but also be sympathetic to the first steps and refrain from harsh criticism or accusations of greenwashing until it is clear how the accommodation will proceed. Not every aspect of a hotel can be changed immediately and 100 percent. |
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| «Many of the tourism industry’s efforts to date have been downplayed by the media in the expectation of achieving complete sustainability.»
Hotel Klosterbräu
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„It is not something guests care about“
Appropriate and targeted communication is the key. For guests, it is usually not relevant how the heating works or that the outdoor pool is heated with waste heat from the cold storage, as is the case at the Hotel Das Rübezahl in Allgäu, Germany. But it is relevant to sustainability media, bloggers, and expert journalists. Guests, on the other hand, are more interested in the fact that the breakfast rolls at Hotel Bella Vista are baked by the Anthamatten family themselves.
The hotel’s sustainability communication therefore involves a constant balancing act to determine which information is of interest to whom and ultimately a booking factor. At the same time, the creative communication of certain facts can make them relevant to other target groups. Lukas Obendorfer, co-owner of the five-star Hotel Birkenhof in the Upper Palatinate region of Germany, has repeatedly found that guests are very interested in the fact that the hotel is heated by its own combined heat and power plant and a wood-fired boiler. |
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| «I believe that anyone who does a good deed should talk about it – and then you may inspire the guests to do a thing or two.»
Lukas Obendorfer, Birkenhof***** Spa & Genussresort
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„Sustainability must be pursued for its own sake.“
Beyond the corporate image, beyond marketing – Yes, sustainable practices and green initiatives should be used as more than just a booking argument. But if sustainable hotels and accommodations do not communicate and make themselves visible, they will not be perceived as „sustainable” by potential customers. Visibility, in this case, means, for example, not hiding your commitment on a third page of your website or not talking about it at all, but embracing it as a consistent part of your corporate image. This also helps in the acquisition of bookings. |
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| «This is mostly a matter of convenience for the guest. Many people want to vacation sustainably without sacrificing comfort and luxury. Starting with research. So, how can I tell at a glance that a hotel is committed to sustainability?»
HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio
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How Sustainability Communication Works: Basics, Essentials, and Niceties
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Mindset and Strategy: Sustainability as Part of the Corporate Philosophy
Sustainability communication is still often associated with media-effective projects and green initiatives that are highly visible but have little impact on environmental protection or social responsibility. This is true for consumers, hoteliers, and business owners alike. As a result, misconceptions about sustainability communication persist.
Most sustainable players in the tourism industry realize that sustainability is more than just „flashy projects” for the press, but that the issue must be firmly anchored in their own and the hotel’s philosophy. „Sustainability in a hotel is not just about building something, it is about living something,” states Dr. Andreas Färber, owner of the Klosterhof in Berchtesgadener Land. |
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«In my opinion, a sustainable hotelier makes no distinction between his business and his lifestyle. […] I cannot set an example by doing something at work that I do not live by in my personal life.»
Daniel Ganzer, Naturhotel Outside
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| The basis for successful sustainability communication is not only an open-minded attitude, but also an ambitious yet feasible strategy. In his interview with Green Pearls®, hotelier Daniel Ganzer answers the question of whether he would describe his Naturhotel Outside as sustainable: „We don’t have the option of being a zero-emissions hotel because we’ve been around for 30 years. But we try to implement the idea [of sustainability] consistently and make sure that everything we do and build is state of the art.“ |
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Reporting, Certificates, and Facts or: How to Avoid Accusations of Greenwashing
The fear of being accused of greenwashing is perhaps the biggest obstacle or worry faced by stakeholders in the tourism industry. We have already shown in the first part of this series that this fear is not entirely unfounded. It can be addressed primarily through verifiability and transparency, for example by:
- an independently produced sustainability report or
- a recognized certification (e.g. from the German GreenSign Institute or the EU Eco-Label)
External verification of the hotel’s sustainable activities, as well as disclosure of facts and figures, builds stakeholder confidence in the accommodation’s sustainability claims and prevents accusations of greenwashing. In the future, this type of reporting will not only be necessary for guests, the media, and other stakeholders but will also be required by law. The European Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) already requires comprehensive sustainability reporting. So far this has only applied to larger companies, but in the next few years, it will also be mandatory for small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the forthcoming EU Green Claims Directive will require sustainability and environmental claims to be substantiated. Failure to do so could result in severe penalties. (More on this in the next part of the series) |
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Image and Marketing: From Setting Goals to Posting on Social Media
Communicating sustainability in tourism is as complex as the topic itself. Hotel guests expect and need different sustainability communication than bloggers or journalists, who in turn want and need different information than sustainable tour operators, employees, or colleagues in the industry.
It is not only the choice of the appropriate way of addressing the target group and the type of information but also the choice of the right channel that is crucial for successful and authentic sustainability communication. To make such decisions, it is useful for hoteliers to first reflect on the goals they are pursuing. Ideally, these will go beyond compliance and include business and marketing objectives such as building trust and attracting customers. An honest, sustainable hotel philosophy and scientific and external verification of claims are essential. |
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Sustainability is Philosophy, Strategy, and Hotel Image
A hotel’s sustainable image is not primarily created through reporting but through implementation and action. Sustainability communication is the proverbial tip of the iceberg perceived by guests, journalists, and other stakeholders. For truly sustainable hotels, such as the partners of the |
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