Tourism contributes nearly 10% to global CO₂ emissions, placing increasing pressure on the hospitality industry to adopt sustainable practices. But there’s a silver lining for hotel operators: travelers are not just receptive to eco-friendly alternatives, they’re willing to pay for them.
According to the 2023 Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report, 76% of travelers already consider sustainability in their decisions, and 70% would pay more for accommodations offering green alternatives. The shift is especially notable among Gen Z travelers, who prioritize nature-oriented stays with minimal ecological footprints.
With growing environmental awareness, digital technologies are emerging as powerful enablers of sustainability in the hotel sector. Paperless check-ins, cloud-based management systems, and data-driven cleaning schedules are becoming mainstream.
Global warming cannot be addressed while forests are being destroyed daily. As a tech company, we feel responsible to act. Our goal is to enable hotels to operate entirely paper-free, which improves efficiency and also helps save trees
Szabolcs Herman, CEO and founder of SabeeApp
SabeeApp, whose property management system (PMS) is used by hotels in nearly 80 countries, supports digital transformation not just for regulatory or ESG compliance—but because it enhances operational speed, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.
Top digital practices supporting sustainability in hospitality are paperless operations (digital check-in, e-invoicing, mobile guest communications), cloud-based systems, dynamic cleaning and laundry schedules (optimized through data to cut water and chemical usage).
Even modest steps, such as going paperless, can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 942 kg per ton of paper saved annually, while also cutting hotel operational costs by up to 30%, according to Hospitality Insights.
Global trends & policy shifts
Countries like Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands are actively incentivizing eco-tourism. Some Swiss and Italian regions now require green audits for hospitality businesses, while Greece has implemented a ”Greentax”, earmarked for funding climate resilience projects.
The world’s leading hotels are also innovating with smart rooms, featuring motion sensors, automated lighting, and climate control, to reduce energy consumption. Certifications such as Green Key and EarthCheck, which evaluate hotels across strict environmental and social responsibility criteria, are becoming the new industry standard across Europe.
