Green Luxury Hotels: How Sustainability Can Succeed with Better Governance

Vacations are universal. People from all around the world use trips as a getaway from their routine lives. They could be long-distance or short, budget or luxury, but they all share the purpose of a new and different experience. As described by the United Nations, tourism “enhances the well-being of individuals, safeguards the natural environment, stimulates economic advancement, and fosters international harmony.” (Pololikashvili, UN Tourism, 2024). However, as the world has grown to become more interconnected than ever, tourism has also grown exponentially. With the post-COVID-19 boom, there is more worry today than ever before regarding the negative impacts travel has on both the environment and humans. These impacts can be grouped into three main observable categories. The first is depletion of natural resources, for example, immense water usage for pools, wasting food that locals may require, or burning excess fossil fuels to power transportation or facilities. This contributes to the second group, creating air and noise pollution, which lowers the quality of living in the area. Solid waste and litter also grow from the high amount of food and disposable products used throughout the experience. Lastly, there are physical impacts on the land caused by increased construction, deforestation, and alteration of the natural ecosystem by tourists (Global Development Research Center). All three of these impacts can especially be seen in the hotel sector, a permanent part of tourism.