What is travel greenwashing? Signs to spot and questions to ask
Not all claims of sustainability are quite as genuine as they might seem. Here we reveal how to detect the bluffs…
Many of us who travel regularly have witnessed the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation first-hand. The world remains on course for atmospheric warming of at least 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 – and incidents of wildfires, flooding, rising sea levels and coral bleaching are becoming devastatingly widespread and frequent in many regions. Deforestation and pollution are also damaging vital ecosystems and wildlife. No wonder, then, that many of us are choosing to live and travel in a more responsible way.
A recent survey conducted by Wanderlust revealed that more than 72% of our readers consider sustainable travel to be important in holiday decision-making, with more than 40% assessing the sustainability credentials of hotels and transport providers before booking. Many tourism businesses are implementing measures to reduce the negative impacts of their products and services. Yet some businesses jump on the sustainability bandwagon to look good, rather than to reduce any damaging impacts.
What is greenwashing?
Some companies splash generalised buzzwords – ‘green’, ‘sustainable’, ‘eco-friendly’ – across marketing materials without really tackling the negative impacts of their businesses. This is ‘greenwashing’, a term coined in the 1980s by ecologist Jay Westerveld. “Genuine sustainability must go beyond trending terminology and catchphrases,” says Rachel Nxele, director of sustainability at Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, South Africa. “Hotels and resorts, for example, are crucial players in the tourism industry, but operations can have a significant environmental impact. Practices should make a positive difference.”
One common example of greenwashing is a claim by tourism companies to be ‘carbon neutral’ because they ‘offset’ carbon emissions through tree-planting or community projects – while making little or no attempt to measure or reduce emissions.
Some airlines encourage customers to buy offsetting credits – ostensibly a positive move, yet shifting responsibility for a negative impact of air travel onto customers.
“Tour operators [and other businesses] must look beyond ‘offsetting’ as measurements of impact,” suggests Sam Bruce, co-founder of Much Better Adventures. “Additionally, to ensure communities benefit from tourism, operators should foster strong links with local suppliers, and emphasise the role of communities as equal stakeholders in operations.”
Other tactics will be familiar to many travellers. Some hotels that offer to wash bed linen less frequently ‘to save energy’ may be primarily interested in saving costs rather than reducing environmental impacts. And some resorts that claim to support local communities simply shuffle in such groups to perform cultural shows, while discouraging guests from spending money outside the hotel. An ‘eco-resort and spa’ in a region with a limited supply of water, perhaps where farmers don’t have enough to irrigate crops, is another example of greenwashing.
“Companies often wax lyrical about recycling or banning single-use plastics,” adds former expedition cruise guide and sustainability expert Victoria Stokes. “However, highlighting small initiatives while neglecting larger issues, such as fossil fuel consumption, suggests greenwashing.”
New expedition ships, increasingly fuelled by methane-based liquefied natural gas, are portrayed as being ‘more sustainable’ because they emit less CO2 and nitrogen oxides than conventionally powered vessels. However, their methane emissions, which can contribute significantly to global warming, are rarely mentioned. Similarly, the exploitation of local ecosystems through unethical practices and overtourism, under the guise of ‘wildlife experiences’, is rife.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has introduced greenwashing guidelines to help businesses avoid featuring such misinformation in their communications. Recently, the ASA ruled that an airline advert suggesting its use of sustainable aviation fuels – made from used cooking oil and animal fats, and which produce similar amounts of CO2 to traditional jet fuel when burned – contributed to ‘protecting [the world’s] future’ was misleading.
As more travellers turn towards sustainable travel, many see through misleading marketing spiel. “Thorough research will help you choose companies that prioritise real sustainability,” reminds Victoria. “Read between the lines, ask questions and interrogate before you book.”
Try asking these questions before booking…
Hotels
1. What measures have you put in place to conserve energy and water, and how do you manage waste?
2. Are you involved in initiatives that support local biodiversity?
3. Do you partner with local communities? If so, how?
Tour operators
4. Have you committed to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism goal of halving emissions by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2050?
5. How are you reducing the carbon footprints of your itineraries?
6. What proportion of the cost of each trip goes to locally owned and independent businesses?
Cruise companies
7. How do you plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
8. Have you committed to halve emissions by 2030 and hit Net Zero by 2050?
Case studies
Missing: meaningful change
Growing numbers of resorts in the Maldives are hiring resident marine biologists to educate and guide guests on surrounding coral reefs. This can help tourists understand the threats faced by our oceans, but some properties have chosen to prioritise this over impactful change – such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing and improving management of waste, and contributing to local communities.
Negative growth?
Around 105,000 people visited Antarctica in 2022–23, up from about 35,000 in 2012–13. Many expedition cruise companies claim that their activities are environmentally sustainable, but the impacts of such rapid growth are rarely addressed. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently stated: “As the Antarctic tourism industry grows… the severity of its negative environmental impacts is likely to increase… compound[ing] other threats to Antarctica’s wildlife and ecosystems”.
