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Gone are the days when hotels could simply put up signs encouraging guests to reuse their towels and then call themselves “green.” As travelers become more aware of the environmental impacts of their actions, they are increasingly choosing brands that adopt eco-friendly practices. With climate change at the forefront of the global sustainability agenda, a growing number of tourism businesses are taking concrete steps to become carbon neutral.

SOURCE: sustainabletravel.org/steps-to-decarbonize-your-hotel

The most effective way for hotels to reduce their carbon footprint is by transitioning to renewable energy sources which produce significantly less emissions than fossil fuels. In addition to mitigating climate change, switching to renewables can result in long-term cost savings.

There are a few different types of renewable energy sources that hotels can use. The first thing to consider is whether or not there is already renewable energy infrastructure in the region where your hotel is located. If so, you may be able to purchase clean energy from a local power provider. In many places, the infrastructure either does not exist or is insufficient to meet local needs. When this is the case, hotels can help lead the way by installing their own on-site renewable energy systems.

Over the past few decades, many hotels have started using solar energy. Solar PV panels convert sunlight directly into electricity which can be used for your hotel’s power needs. Solar thermal systems on the other hand absorb the sunlight and then convert it into heat. This thermal energy can be used to heat guest rooms or provide hot water for showers, swimming pools, laundry, and dishwashing. Other types of on-site renewable energy technologies that harness the power of the local environment include small-scale wind turbines or micro-hydropower systems. Looking for a more creative option? Some hotels are introducing electricity-generating gym equipment that allows guests to power up the building while they’re working out.  

Did you know that the food scraps from your kitchen can also be used as a renewable source of energy? From discarded vegetable peels to half-eaten meals, food waste is a major issue for many hotels. As food breaks down in landfills, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that has 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Rather than letting your food scraps go to waste, they can be converted into biogas via a process called “anaerobic digestion.” This biogas can then be used to produce electricity or heat. 

Hotels can lower the carbon-intensity of their operations by reducing the amount of energy that is used for different processes and activities. By decreasing your energy usage, you’ll also cut down on needless energy expenditures. 

Hotels can incorporate efficiencies directly into their buildings by adopting bioclimatic design principles. Bioclimatic design works in harmony with the local climate to create comfortable spaces while optimizing energy use. Though bioclimatic techniques vary by climate type, examples include orientating windows to absorb the sun’s heat, using trees and overhangs for shading, and choosing light-colored roofing materials to reflect solar rays. Traditional architecture styles often tend to be bioclimatic since they’ve been adapted to the local environment for centuries. They are also a good way to showcase traditional construction techniques and locally-sourced building materials.  

Beyond the design of the building itself, hotels can utilize energy saving technologies to further drive down their carbon footprint. Consider upgrading your washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioning units, and other appliances to more efficient models. Alternatively, some hotels are switching to ozone laundry systems which eliminate hot water use and shorten drying times. 

Replace existing light fixtures with LED bulbs which use 75% less energy, and last much longer, than incandescent lighting. Heat pumps offer an efficient alternative to traditional furnaces and boilers since they capture heat from the outside air, water, or ground. Similarly, sea water air conditioning systems (SWAC) use cold ocean or lake water to cool buildings. Combined heating and power (CHP) systems also require less energy due to their ability to generate electricity and heat simultaneously. Other carbon reduction tactics include reducing waste, conserving hot water resources, or providing sustainable transportation options such as electric golf carts, bicycles, or kayaks. 

This day in age, it’s no longer just about which devices you use, it’s also about how you control them. Automated energy management technologies are quickly becoming the way of the future. Photosensors or timers can be used to automatically turn off or dim lights at certain times of day. This is especially useful for areas such as parking garages or outdoor areas that only require bright lighting after dark. More hotels are starting to add keycard master switches into their guest rooms. These systems conserve energy by automatically switching off the power in the room when guests leave and remove the keycard from the designated slot. 

More advanced “smart” energy management systems utilize sensors to detect when a guest room is empty. These systems prevent unnecessary energy use by automatically turning off the lights, closing the curtains, or adjusting the thermostat when rooms are unoccupied. Sensors can also be used to shut off the heating or air conditioning when a balcony door is left open or to control lighting in conference rooms and other less-trafficked areas. Some smart systems even allow guests to control the air conditioner, lights, curtains, and television via a universal remote or an app on their phone.

Once you’ve optimized your direct operations, you can go a step further to reduce fossil fuel usage within your supply chain. While there are a number of ways to decarbonize your supply chain, there are some tactics that you will have more control over such as where you source your goods from.  

Localizing your supply chain can reduce carbon emissions while also providing a number of business benefits. There is a growing movement among consumers to “buy local,” so incorporating the local flavors and culture into your offering can make for a distinctive guest experience. For hotels, this means creating locally-inspired menus and sourcing ingredients from local farmers, fishers, cheese-makers, or bakeries. Furnishings, decor, linens, and staff uniforms are also good items to source from local suppliers. 

When you procure goods locally, it cuts down on the amount of transportation, packaging, and refrigeration needed to get them from point A to point B. This equates to less energy usage and a smaller carbon footprint. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, local supply chains also tend to be more resilient to global crises and disruptive events. 

Hotels can play a role to protect or restore natural ecosystems that act as carbon sinks. Forests are carbon sinks, as are blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes. These ecosystems possess a natural ability to fight climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in their biomass and soils. 

In addition to preventing carbon emissions, forests and coastal habitats provide other important benefits. These critical habitats promote biodiversity and support nature tourism activities, such as birdwatching, hiking, and snorkeling. They can also help to reduce flooding and stabilize shorelines. 

The most direct way that you can protect these ecosystems is by leaving them intact. It is common for coastal hotels to remove mangroves that grow along their property or use fertilizers that kill seagrass beds. Be consciously aware of your impact on these sensitive ecosystems and implement practices that conserve them.

Another way that you can protect these ecosystems is through carbon offsetting. When you purchase carbon offsets, you fund projects around the world that have been certified to reduce carbon emissions. One way that carbon offset projects can deliver these emissions reductions is by protecting or restoring natural ecosystems. 

When you invest in these types of carbon offset projects, you can help create benefits that go beyond carbon reductions and conservation. Many projects also improve the livelihoods of local communities by creating local jobs, providing skills training, improving sanitation, or increasing food security.

Picture your favorite vacation spots. Now imagine your favorite ski resort with no snow or a tropical island without any beaches.

From the Great Barrier Reef to the Alps, many of the world’s most iconic destinations are in danger from climate change. As sea levels rise, entire islands could disappear underwater. A changing climate also bears bad news for ski destinations as experts predict that alpine resorts could lose up to 70% of their snow cover by the end of the century.

Read in the following chapters what could happen with holiday resorts at beaches and idyllic islands in general, if we don’t come into action.

SOURCE: sustainabletravel.org/climate-change-impacts-tourism-destinations

Around 80% of all tourism takes place in coastal areas. Unfortunately, these destinations are also some of the most vulnerable to climate change.

As global temperatures warm, this causes seawater to expand and ice sheets to melt. As a result, global sea levels are rising at an increasing rate. These rising sea levels, along with climate-induced extreme weather events are threatening some of the world’s most beautiful coastlines.

As sea levels rise and storms cause waves to crash along the shore, beaches are eroding and even disappearing.On top of this, climate change is worsening the impacts of hurricanes, leading to more intense storm surges and coastal flooding. 

Beachside resorts, restaurants, roads, airports, and ports are also in harm’s way. A high percentage of tourism infrastructure is just above sea level. If sea levels rise many resorts and infrastructure like airports would be damaged or destroyed. 

Other low-lying island nations such as Tuvalu and the Maldives are facing an even worse fate. As sea levels continue to rise, these destinations could be completely swallowed by the ocean. 

What tropical vacation would be complete without a little snorkeling or diving? Sadly, these underwater experiences might never be the same. The future of our planet’s coral reefs is at stake – largely due to climate change. As water temperatures increase, more corals are bleaching and losing their vibrant colors. In addition to losing natural beauty, these corals become more susceptible to disease and can even die. 

Globally, severe coral bleaching is now happening five times more frequently than in previous decades. The Great Barrier Reef is the poster child for climate change. Over the last few years, climate change has completely transformed the reef. Since 2016, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced two massive bleaching events which killed about half of the shallow corals on the reef. 

The loss of coral reefs has a ripple effect across entire marine ecosystems. Though they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, reefs are a valuable habitat for more than a quarter of the world’s marine species. Without coral reefs, fish and other marine animals will struggle to survive and there won’t be much left for divers or snorkelers to see. 

Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns will also exacerbate water supply issues in destinations that are already prone to drought. Due to their limited freshwater resources, small islands are especially vulnerable to water scarcity challenges and are already being affected. 

In many Caribbean islands, water shortages are now a way of life with in most areas availability of less than 600 cubic meters of freshwater resources per capita.  To put this into perspective, annual freshwater use in the United States is more than 1,500 cubic meters per capita. As climate change continues, these freshwater supplies will only become more precious. This could lead to conflict with local communities as the tourism industry consumes a substantial amount of this water.