Hospitality industry paying lip service to green issues

Hotels which pay lip service to sustainability are failing to fool customers or buy loyalty, according to research.

Establishments which treat saving the planet and its resources as a tick box exercise or PR, lead to scepticism rather than any desired connection to the hotel or its chain.

Researchers say practices like water-saving, ‘eco laundries’, locally-sourced food claims and donations to local charities “fail when poorly framed or perceived as insincere”.

But, done well, hotels can build strong brand loyalty which lasts a lifetime.

Greenwashing

Dr Amr Al-Khateeb, senior lecturer in marketing at Liverpool John Moores University, who conducted the study, said: “Sustainability is too often framed as restriction or inconvenience (“save water!”, “reduce usage!”) without an emotional or value basis. Such initiatives are perceived by consumers simply as greenwashing.”

By contrast, eco-friendly initiatives done sincerely, consistently and embedded in behaviours can create deep, long-lasting emotional bonds with a brand.

“Sustainability can help to create ‘brand-love’ and turn customers into passionate advocates who actively promote and defend the brand,” the researchers added.

Drawing on data from over 500 hotel customers, the study shows that sustainability initiatives do more than reduce environmental impact: they actively shape how people feel about brands.

Among best practices the team found were:

• A hotel chain investing in energy-efficient rooms, local sourcing and waste reduction and clearly communicating why this matters for the future (e.g., environment, community, long‑term impact).
• Marketing communication that connects sustainability to shared values and purpose in order to help guests feel proud, emotionally connected and willing to advocate for the brand.
• Hotels making sustainable choices feel positive rather than restrictive by doing things like framing towel‑reuse as part of a collective impact story rather than cost‑cutting.

Emotions

“Sustainability is not just a technical or ethical issue,” added Dr Al-Khateeb. “It is a deeply emotional one. If organisations want customers to genuinely champion their brand, they need to go beyond functional green actions and create emotional connections that align with people’s values and time perspectives.”

He cites the chain Six Senses – with outlets in Rome, Ibiza, Courcheval and Bayswater as an outstanding example of best practice.

The research further reveals that people’s time orientation matters: future-focused consumers respond most strongly and emotionally to sustainability efforts, while present-focused consumers can actively resist them. This, they say, helps to explain why some sustainability messages resonate with customers while others fall flat.

Practically, the study offers guidance for hospitality and service organisations and why sustainability strategies should simultaneously enhance short‑term experiences and build long‑term emotional relationships while tailoring communication to different customer mindsets.

The research is published in The Journal of Vacation Marketing.

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