What Does “Travel Sustainable” Mean?
Sustainable travel is a hot topic.
A 2023 study by Boston Consulting Group found that 80% of consumers were concerned about the environment and that they considered aspects of sustainability when they last traveled.
This mirrors the findings in a 2022 study conducted by Wakefield Research that reported that 90% of consumers said they look for sustainable options when traveling, but 70% admitted to feeling overwhelmed by starting the process of being a more sustainable traveler.
With this much noise, it only makes sense for the industry to meet consumer demands. And that’s where “travel sustainable” comes in.
What Does Travel Sustainable Mean?
In an effort to make eco-friendly travel less intimidating for consumers, popular hotel sites like Booking.com and Agoda have created “travel sustainable” categories for their accommodations. These filters give users the ability to sort through hotel listings and choose the most sustainable options. Each travel platform has their own set of guidelines for what they consider “travel sustainable” worthy.
So in this article, we'll break down what “travel sustainable” means for each travel platform and how you can leverage this to be a more sustainable traveler.
What Does Travel Sustainable Mean on Booking.com?
“Travel Sustainable” is a certification badge awarded by Booking.com for properties that are taking steps towards being more sustainable.
Ranking is determined by how well a specific property meets a range of sustainability practices set forth by independent industry leaders like Sustainalize (ERM) and weighed against the total potential impact that a property might have in its specific region.
The six criteria that Booking.com assesses for are:
Use less water
Reduce waste
Protect nature
No single use plastic
Reduce energy and greenhouse gasses
Support your local community
Booking.com looks at how well a property stacks up on these six factors and whether or not they have any third-party sustainability certifications, and then compares their impact to that of a non-sustainable alternative in the same area. Using this inclusive criteria model set forth by Travalyst, Booking.com is able to generate a meaningful and comparable impact score for different property types worldwide.
You can gain a better understanding of what Travel Sustainable means for Booking.com by reviewing their sustainability website, looking at their partner guidelines, or reading specific case studies.
So, let’s look at the three “travel sustainable” levels.
Travel Sustainable Level 1 means that the property has implemented some impactful sustainability practices
Travel Sustainable Level 2 means that the property has made considerable investments and efforts to implement impactful sustainability practices
Travel Sustainable Level 3 means that the property has made of large investments and efforts to implement impactful sustainability practices
Certified means that the property has subscribed to one or more third-party certifications and made a significant difference in the reduction of their environmental impact
While these guidelines look vague right now, when you actually use the travel site to book your hotels, they provide specific details about the criteria met by each property.
What Does “Travel Sustainable” Mean on Agoda?
Turns out Agoda was bought out by Booking Holdings in 2007 so they essentially have the same process for awarding “travel sustainable” badges as Booking.com. The one difference is that “Travel Sustainable” on Agoda only considers five factors instead of six: water, waste, nature, energy and greenhouse gasses, and destination and community.
The property assessment is conducted completely through the Booking.com extranet. Agoda does not break down their “travel sustainable” filter into three levels but simply awards a property with the badge if their sustainability score is high enough. However, when booking each individual property, you can dive into the details of each sustainability measure that they’ve managed to implement.
How Can You Use “Travel Sustainable” To Be A Better Traveler?
As someone who cares about the environment, the “travel sustainable” badge is a good way to do your initial research on accommodations. It will by no means provide you with a definitive answer on whether or not a property is sustainable though.
Much like Booking.com stated themselves, until we have a way to verify the actual implementation of these measures either through visitor reports or third-party audits, it’s hard to wholeheartedly say that a property is green.
When choosing an eco-friendly hotel or homestay, we recommend checking for the “travel sustainable” badge, looking for third-party sustainability certifications, and then also browsing through the hotel’s website for transparent metrics on their actions. Greenwashing happens at all levels but all we can do as individual travelers is try our best.
For more on sustainable travel, check out the following articles:
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