--- title: "Carbon Footprint Reduction: No Longer a Trend, Now a Survival Issue" description: "What concrete steps can hotels and accommodations take to reduce their carbon footprint?" published: 2022-08-26T05:30:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Insights" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65cf004f13b15078ac52d074_Frame_30.jpg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=tanso-baljagug-jiugi-teurendeuga-anin-saengjonyi-munje locale: en --- # Carbon Footprint Reduction: No Longer a Trend, Now a Survival Issue Eco-friendly. Sustainable travel. Somewhere along the line, these became household phrases. Two or three years ago, the hotel and accommodation industry might have treated them as just another passing marketing trend. But in 2022, **in Western countries (especially Europe) and Southeast Asian nations where tourism is a core industry, 'sustainable travel' is no longer a marketing buzzword — it's become a matter of survival.** Take the economics YouTuber SHUKA World's piece "[Climate Catastrophe: Desperate Efforts to Cut Energy Consumption](https://youtu.be/fEY195pJMg0)." California temperatures hit 50°C. Last year, Germany saw its worst flooding in 1,000 years — 160 people dead. If developed nations are already seeing visible damage like this, you can imagine how much worse it is in developing countries. ![Source: SHUKA World](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f7bb221c165d25b51c_630c51a43e688a593f12518b_EC_8A_88_EC_B9_B4_EC_9B_94_EB_93_9C.jpeg) We in Korea still have four distinct seasons. Sea-level rise isn't knocking at our door yet. But for most of the world — developed or not — 'climate crisis' has already escalated to a threat against basic survival. Just as Tesla kicked off an all-out race toward eco-friendly electric vehicles, the hospitality industry's 'sustainable travel product development' is no longer something we can defer. Lately, the term [**'carbon footprint'**](https://www.gihoo.or.kr/portal/kr/biz/footprint.do) has gained traction across industries — a system that quantifies environmental impact across the entire lifecycle: raw material extraction, production, transport, distribution, use, and disposal. Hospitality is no exception: transportation, accommodation, activities, restaurants — none of it is immune to carbon footprint scrutiny. The more convenience we enjoy at our destinations, the less pristine space and time we'll have left to travel. --- ### **Global OTAs and Hotels Leading with Sustainability** Today, the players pushing 'sustainability' hardest are the global OTAs (Online Travel Agencies). Recently, the U.S. hospitality software company Cloudbeds released '[The Big Book of OTAs](https://www.cloudbeds.com/online-travel-agencies/?utm_medium=pr&utm_source=ita_uk&utm_campaign=bbota),' an industry report. **One of the most important OTA trends for 2022: properties with 'sustainable badges' and long-stay options.** The report found that 73% of travelers want to stay at properties flagged as sustainable. To meet this demand, Booking.com and Expedia have created dedicated 'sustainable travel' categories. Booking.com, for example, provides a 32-point sustainability checklist. Properties that meet certain criteria earn a badge — and get sorted into a special category, as shown below. In Western markets especially, this eco-category has become a major driver of booking decisions. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f7bb221c165d25b518_630c51c45d22c729d57a8a60_EB_B6_80_ED_82_B9_EB_8B_B7_EC_BB_B4.jpeg) But it doesn't stop there. Since 2020, the metasearch engine Kayak has been recommending the lowest-CO₂ travel options — flights, trains, and so on. Booking.com and Kayak now link these features to guide travelers toward the lowest possible carbon footprint for an entire trip. Other platforms go even further: ranking airlines and hotels by 'sustainability score' — some even hand out awards. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f7bb221c165d25b510_630c51d98382d0e6d14e2bc0_EC_B9_B4_EC_95_BD.jpeg) _So what concrete steps can a hotel or accommodation take to 'erase' its carbon footprint?_ A report published in October 2021, ['Global Accommodation Sector: The Road to Net Zero Emissions'](https://www.lechotouristique.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/global-accommodation-sector-the-road-to-net-zero-emissions-full-report-digital.pdf), argues that **using the most advanced available technology and practices, individual properties can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 32%.** For example: a hotel invests €1.7 million (~₩2.3 billion) in an efficient HVAC system. It can save up to €60,000 (~₩80 million) per year. Upgrading a swimming pool pump costs €1,000 (~₩1.33 million). Annual savings: €500–600 (~₩660,000–800,000). ![Ways hotels can conserve energy and cut emissions (Source: Global Accommodation Sector: The Road to Net Zero Emissions)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f7bb221c165d25b515_630c51e92c540a1de68dfdbd_global_accommodation_sector_the_road_to_net_zero_emissions.jpeg) Other measures: double-pane windows, solar film, switching hotel shuttle fleets to EVs, installing elevator optimization software — all reduce carbon footprint. Guest room amenities matter, too. Eliminate single-use plastics or switch to reusable alternatives. Banyan Tree Group's campaign: "If you can't reuse it, refuse it." [Ananti is running a project to eliminate all plastics from its properties](https://ananti.kr/ko/board/times/434). Policies like capping food waste per room and enforcing proper recycling are also essential steps toward sustainable travel. These investments and policies require upfront cost and effort, but reducing your carbon footprint ultimately saves energy and resources — and cuts operating expenses year after year. Plus, hotels that practice sustainability earn strong marketing differentiators and better visibility on OTA platforms. --- ### Real Carbon Reduction — Not Greenwashing Today's consumers are willing to pay more for values-driven purchases. Multiple surveys show that 70–80% of respondents would pay extra if it benefits the environment. [According to SBS](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006506273), Korea's eco-retail market was worth ₩1.5 trillion in the early 2000s. By 2020, it ballooned to ₩30 trillion. This is a new business opportunity for the travel industry. Since real-time price comparison became the norm online, most consumer businesses got trapped in a race to the bottom — you had to be 1 won cheaper to even get noticed. But now we've entered an era of 'value-for-price' (가심비): consumers will pay *more* if you deliver *better* value. Eco-friendly travel, sustainable travel, reducing your carbon footprint — these are now unstoppable tides. Of course, as the market grows, so does 'greenwashing' — fake eco-marketing. Think: automakers faking emissions data in 'Dieselgate.' Korea's humidifier disinfectant scandal a decade ago. Classic greenwashing failures. Let's hope the travel industry avoids that fate. Travel should be more eco-friendly and sustainable than any other sector. After all, nobody wants to vacation on a polluted beach in the middle of a heat wave or blizzard. --- ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting.