Don’t Just Be Seen Going Green!

Sustainability has been a buzz word in the hospitality industry for some time, and stakeholders are realising that adopting such practices is necessary to improve business prospects.

In this first of a two-part series, Joe Galea ponders the way forward.

Sustainability conscious travellers are increasing, and green travel is on the rise. The number of travellers who want eco-friendly travel options is rising exponentially from year to year. and tourists are now seriously into sustainable travel experiences.

As reported by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) at the last Tourism Observatory National Tourism Conference in February 2025, more local hotels are recognising the need to embrace and promote sustainability in their operations.

They realise that this is not just a passing fad as more trade partners and guests are seeking hotels that truly embrace and adopt greener practices in their operation. The number of local hotels that have been reported to have acquired certification by January 2025 is still rather low, but it is nonetheless encouraging to hear from MTA that more hotels have embarked on the path to turn their operations green.

Sustainable hospitality might have started as a small niche in the travel industry, but demand for eco-friendly travel options is now on the rise among consumers. Undoubtedly, concern for global warming is an important factor. But other factors play an important role, such as the aftermath of the pandemic, increased urbanization and possibly more importantly the factor of how different generations perceive the world.

Sustainability is for everyone. However, there are differences in the way different generations value green travel. Both baby boomers (born between 1946-1964) and Generation X (born between 1965-1981) are environmentally conscious. However, sustainability is an even more important issue for millennials (born between 1981-2001), who are now the backbone of the growing global travel market. Millennials have the technology and the opportunities to be well informed, and they value sustainable options, and they are even willing to pay more for services that do not have a negative environmental effect.

The next generation, Gen Z, are now old enough to join millennials as the biggest target market. These are even more vocal about their support for sustainable development within the tourist industry and they use digital social media platforms to promote their beliefs. They are well known for their investment of time, passion, and money in social justice causes, including sustainable travel.

When travelling, both generations will always choose to stay in places that share their high regard towards sustainability, and it is good for hotels to be seen to be actively pursuing this green path. And this is not just for individuals. More group organisers, particularly from the UK, and central and northern Europe, actually seek to stay in eco friendly hotels and an increasing number of tour operators, online travel agents and bed banks are guiding their clients as to which of the hotels offered operate in a sustainable manner.

Businesses and business travellers are possibly showing even higher concern in choosing venues for conferences and meetings in green venues and stays in hotels with sustainable practices in their daily operations. They want their own eco-friendly business to be seen supporting like minded businesses.

For hotels, being green is no longer an option although some hotels may still just be into ‘green washing’ and want to show that they adopt the concept of sustainability simply as a means to get the bookings from green-conscious travellers.

However, turning the hotel into a sustainable operation will yield tangible benefits that can be quantified in financial terms too.


Next issue: Practical steps towards sustainability and the role of staff and partnerships.