Trends in Eco-Friendly Travel

💥 Tourism’s Breaking Point: A Wake‑Up Call for Hotels 💥 Yesterday, cities across Southern Europe hit a boiling point. From Barcelona to Lisbon, Venice to Palma de Mallorca, residents took to the streets with water pistols, banners, and smoke bombs — a dramatic cry for help. The target? A tourism model that no longer works. ⸻ This isn’t about hating tourists. It’s about resisting a system that floods cities, chokes infrastructure, prices out locals — and burns out hospitality professionals in the process. 📈 Exploding volumes: Spain welcomed 94 million international visitors in 2024, aiming for 100 million this year. 🏘️ Housing crisis: Barcelona rents are up 68% in a decade. The city will ban all short-term rentals by 2028. 🏨 Hotel pressure: In EU urban centers, hotels represent 63–80% of overnight stays — and now face growing backlash alongside platforms like Airbnb. ⸻ 🔍 Why this matters for hotels: 1. Local frustration is real — and increasingly visible. 2. We’re no longer outside the conversation. We are the conversation. 3. Solutions are demanded—and fast: • smarter tourism management • yield-over-occupancy strategies • deeper local integration 4. This is a leadership moment. Support policies that serve both your hotel and the community that surrounds it. ⸻ As hoteliers, we must ask ourselves: • Are we growing demand or managing it? • Are we delivering value or fueling volume? • Are we building a long-term ecosystem, or just chasing short-term gains? ⸻ Across the continent, cities are responding: 🔒 Airbnb bans (Barcelona) 💸 Visitor fees (Venice, Trevi Fountain) 🚫 Overnight stay caps (Lofoten, Portofino) 📈 Tourist tax hikes (Balearics, Italy, Norway) It’s time we stop blaming OTAs and cruise ships and start stepping into the solution: ✅ Better yield, not just occupancy ✅ More local integration, less commodification ✅ Smarter pricing, smarter planning ⸻ 👉 Call to action: We can no longer afford to be passive players. This is about stewardship, community investment, and responsible growth. Let’s lead the shift toward measured hospitality — before the backlash defines us instead. #Hoteliers #Overtourism #HospitalityLeadership #UrbanTourism #SustainableTravel #HotelStrategy #RevenueManagement #TravelTrends #Barcelona #Venice #Lisbon #MeasuredHospitality #RegenerativeTourism

We’ve built a whole industry around tracking visitors—how many came, how long they stayed, how much they spent. And don’t get me wrong—those are important numbers. But I want to ask a tough question: What if your DMO’s most important KPI isn’t a visitor metric at all? More and more, I’m having conversations with tourism leaders who are starting to prioritize things like resident satisfaction, local business participation in campaigns and community sentiment about tourism. Because here’s the truth: If your residents don’t feel like tourism is working for them, then eventually it’ll stop working at all. The most successful destinations I’m seeing today are treating their community like their first audience. They’re building trust. They’re telling authentic stories. And they’re making sure their marketing aligns with what locals want the world to know about their home. If we only measure visitor volume, we’ll never understand visitor value. If we don’t track how locals feel, we risk building destinations they don’t even recognize. Tourism done right is a community asset. Let’s make sure we’re measuring what really matters.

In 2015, Barry Sternlicht risked his reputation to make sustainability sexy in luxury hospitality. A feat that had yet to be accomplished… He’d already revolutionized hospitality with W Hotels and sold Starwood for $13 billion. But instead of retiring, he was busy chasing an idea he'd had a decade earlier: "Eco-friendly luxury" – an oxymoron to most industry experts. Traditional hotels believed wealthy travelers only wanted fancy modern finishes, not reclaimed materials and environmental consciousness. But Sternlicht saw market trends everyone else was overlooking… Millennials were willing to pay more for brands that matched their values. Instagram-worthy experiences. But not at the cost of their conscience. Sternlicht saw an opportunity: No luxury hotel brand was serving this massive market. So in 2015, Sternlicht opened 1 Hotel South Beach. The lobby featured a massive sculpture made from driftwood salvaged from Miami shores. Rooms had filtered water taps instead of plastic bottles. Local stone and native materials connected guests to Miami's natural environment. 1 Hotels became a brand that "looks good and does good." Yet, the industry was skeptical. Eco-friendly practices were associated with budget accommodations. Many believed sustainability would compromise the premium experience that wealthy travelers had come to expect. But something incredible happened… 1 Hotel South Beach became the hottest spot in Miami. Celebrities made it their go-to. Guests were actually paying more to stay at 1 Hotel than competing luxury hotels. Sternlicht had achieved the impossible: making eco-luxury the hottest trend in hospitality. The secret wasn't just the green features. It was the storytelling. Every reclaimed wood beam had a history. Every design element connected guests to the local natural environment. Guests weren't just staying at a hotel–they were part of a mission. Their popularity was cemented with 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in 2017. Sternlicht's team used wood from the old Domino Sugar Factory in the design. It became one of NYC's most photographed buildings. Suddenly, sustainability was the main attraction. There are a few key lessons from 1 Hotels' success: → Values-driven branding commands premium pricing → Local storytelling creates deeper guest connections → Sustainability can be a differentiator, not a cost → Gen Z and Millennials will pay more for authentic experiences Today, 1 Hotels operates 14 properties across 7 countries. They command some of the highest rates in their markets and inspired dozens of competitors to go green. Proving sustainability could be aspirational, not sacrificial. Exactly what Sternlicht set out to accomplish.

As Mexico continues to be one of the most highly visited countries in the world, it is no surprise that tourism is booming, especially in the glorious Yucatán Peninsula. This piece by Meagan Drillinger is an excellent read as it highlights how the region is diversifying its travel options and experiences by "developing more than 250 activities spanning culinary, adventure, luxury, culture, history and wellness", and these offerings will be throughout the state. What gets me most excited however is the immense opportunity to develop #sustainable #communitytourism and locally-developed and led travel offerings that will economically benefit indigenous and local communities in the region. Last February, I had the opportunity to visit several of these amazing community led tourism projects throughout the region with RISE Travel Institute and Etnica. From an overnight stay at a Maya Community to a women-led Cenote experience and more, the future looks bright for these experiences that will benefit, support, and help local and indigenous communities thrive. Co'ox Mayab - a social enterprise of nine tourism cooperatives dedicated to community-based tourism in Yucatán - is one such initiative. Co’ox Mayab is the first of its kind in Mexico and benefits tourist cooperatives, collectives, and family-based grassroots enterprises directly by providing training in cultural and natural heritage, community tourism management, promotion, and the development of sustainable tourism products. There is much exciting stuff happening in the world of community tourism. We just need more travelers to be aware of all the offerings.

Designing Community Tourism That Honors Local Ways ✨ One of the most valuable lessons in building authentic, ethical community tourism is this: Meet local people on their own terms. This means resisting the urge to "improve" or modernize a community for the sake of comfort or convenience—especially when those changes erase traditions or disrupt the rhythm of life that has existed for generations. True community tourism isn't about curating a polished experience for foreign guests. It's about offering something raw, unscripted, and real—where hosts welcome visitors in the way they always have, in their own language of hospitality, pace, and place. 💬 In nomadic cultures, for example, life isn't run by the clock—it flows with the rhythm of the animals, the seasons, and ancestral knowledge. Trying to mold this into rigid itineraries or Western expectations of “efficiency” misses the point of what makes the experience meaningful. Through our work at Khusvegi English & Nomadic Culture Camp, we co-create experiences with local nomadic families—not for them. We let their traditions lead the way. Guests learn to live in rhythm with the land, sleep in gers built by hand, and engage in a style of hospitality that reflects centuries of Kazakh wisdom—not hotel standards. 🧭 Tourism should bend toward local ways, not the other way around. Let the community lead. Let traditions breathe. Let the culture be the guide—not the guest. 🌍 When we design tourism rooted in respect, patience, and reciprocity, we don't just preserve culture—we learn from it. Learn more about Khusvegi Camp via https://lnkd.in/gZJbJfxX #DecolonizeTourism #KhusvegiCamp #CommunityLedTravel #RespectLocalCulture #NomadicWisdom #SlowTravel #EthicalTourism #EquityInTourism #CulturalPreservation #ListenFirst

Costa Rica proves that environmental protection and economic growth can go hand in hand. They're the gold standard for sustainable tourism with 25% of their land dedicated to biodiversity and strong investment in education. Tourism and agriculture fuel their economy, but they do it responsibly. In fact, Costa Rica's Travel & Tourism market is on track to hit $336 million by 2025 and keep growing at 6% annually. Big cities should be looking at Costa Rica as a model. Even if they’re not surrounded by rainforests, urban destinations can take a page from Costa Rica’s playbook. Here’s how: 1. More green space – Expand parks and develop urban forests for healthier, cooler cities. 2. Accountability for businesses – Implement eco-certifications for hotels and other tourism-focused businesses to push sustainability. 3. Community-first tourism – Shift from mass tourism to neighborhood-driven travel that supports small businesses and culture. 4. Smarter transportation – Expand bike lanes, add electric buses and create walkable downtowns. Sustainability isn’t just for nature-rich destinations. Urban hubs should be leading the way in rethinking tourism. Organizations like Wheel the World and Kind Traveler are already pushing this forward - making travel more accessible and channeling tourism dollars toward environmental and social impact. What’s a city you think is getting sustainable tourism right?

📈 🇪🇸 100 Million Tourists, But Who’s Looking Out for Locals? “Tourists go home.” “Kill tourists.” “Fuc& Airbnb.” Across Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, overtourism has morphed from mild annoyance to outright hostility. In 2024, Spain welcomed nearly 100 million visitors—and locals are feeling the squeeze: 🔺 Housing Crisis: Rents up 80% in Madrid over the last decade; half of tenants spend 40%+ of income on rent & utilities. 🏘️ Displacement by STRs: Barcelona vows to ban all tourist rentals by 2028; Madrid plans to rezone 6,000 buildings for holiday stays. 💸 Uneven Profits: Tourism generates ~15% of GDP, yet most revenue lines property owners and platforms, not neighborhoods. Why should we care? Tourism fuels livelihoods—but not if it prices out the very people who make our destinations shine. 3 Steps to a Win–Win Model for Hosts & Communities: 1️⃣ Reinvest Platform Taxes: Direct Airbnb/local short-stay fees into affordable housing and public transport. 2️⃣ Decentralize Demand: Spotlight under-the-radar towns to relieve pressure on big cities. 3️⃣ Co-Create Infrastructure: Partner with local governments and residents on community-led tourism projects. 💬 Your turn: How are you innovating in your market to keep tourism thriving and sustainable? Share your biggest success—or toughest challenge—below! ⬇️ Read more ⏩ https://lnkd.in/gHB-tp9a #SustainableTourism #ShortTermRentals #Airbnb #TravelIndustry #CommunityFirst #PropertyManagement #Madrid #Barcelona #CanaryIslands

Forget Infinity Pools. The Real Flex Is Picking Your Own Dinner. Let’s talk about regenerative farming and why it might be the most underrated disruptor in hospitality right now. Everyone is chasing luxury, wellness, or sustainability like they are separate buckets, but regenerative farm stays tie it all together and deliver something hotels and destinations can no longer ignore. Here’s the truth. Guests do not just want to sip green juice and do yoga on the lawn anymore. They want to feel their trip. When someone spends five thousand dollars on a week away, they want to come home with more than a tan. They want a story, they want transformation, and regenerative farming delivers exactly that. The psychology is simple. Consumers are burnt out on empty luxury. A pool cabana is not enough. They crave meaning, and meaning comes from participation. When a guest plants something, harvests something, or cooks something that grew on the property, the connection goes deeper than any spa treatment or room upgrade ever could. That emotional ROI is what makes them post online, rave to their friends, and book again. Examples are everywhere. In Italy, estates are mixing biodynamic vineyards with Michelin dining. In Costa Rica, eco-lodges host cacao ceremonies where guests grind the beans before tasting. In California, retreats teach foraging in the morning and serve the harvest at dinner. This is not farm to table anymore. This is farm to Instagram, farm to memory, farm to lifetime loyalty. So here’s the tactical play. Hotels, cruise lines, and destinations need to stop treating regenerative farming as a niche experiment and start building it into their brand story. Partner with local farms. Bring produce into your F&B program with transparency. Create guest experiences around sourcing. Train your team to tell that story with pride. And do not just market it as sustainable, market it as transformational. That is the word that makes wallets open. Other brands can ride this wave too. Fashion can collaborate on capsule collections tied to retreats. Beverage companies can create co-branded experiences at vineyards. Tech companies can sponsor digital detox packages. Airlines can link farm stays to the journey. This is not just about farming, it is about aligning with the psychology of travel, where luxury and purpose become the same thing. Hospitality has to wake up. The future is not glossy infinity pool ads. It is showing the hands-on, behind-the-scenes, the dirt under your fingernails that somehow still feels luxurious because it connects back to health, wellness, and storytelling. Whoever embraces this first will not just win guests, they will win loyalty for life. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let's chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

The Role of Sustainability in Vacation Rental Marketing More travelers are choosing eco-friendly options than ever before. If you want to attract these eco-conscious guests, embracing sustainability in your vacation rental isn’t just good for the planet, it’s great for business too. Here’s how focusing on green practices can elevate your marketing: 1️⃣ Stand Out in the Market With so many options available, showcasing your commitment to sustainability can differentiate your property. Guests love unique rentals that align with their values. 2️⃣ Attract a Growing Segment of Travelers Eco-conscious travel is on the rise. By highlighting your green initiatives, you’ll appeal to this growing audience of mindful guests. 3️⃣ Boost Your Listing Appeal Small changes like energy-efficient lighting, reusable toiletries, and water-saving fixtures can make your property more attractive to potential guests. 4️⃣ Enhance Guest Experience Eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean boring. Think solar-powered outdoor lights, eco-luxe linens, or even partnerships with local sustainable businesses for unique guest experiences. 5️⃣ Share Your Story Guests love to feel connected. Use your listing and social media to share how you’re making a difference—whether it’s sourcing locally, reducing waste, or offsetting carbon emissions. 💡 Pro tip: Label your rental “eco-friendly” in your listing title or description. Terms like “sustainable getaway” or “green retreat” are attention-grabbing and help you rank in searches. What green practices have you implemented in your rental? Or, what’s your first step toward sustainability? ♻️ Share this post with other hosts to inspire a movement toward greener vacation rentals!