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Marketing Your Sustainability

Promote your sustainable practices authentically and effectively

Hayden Zammit Meaney avatar
Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney
Updated today

Marketing Your Sustainability

Your sustainability efforts deserve to be shared. Done well, green marketing helps you attract like-minded visitors, differentiate your business, and inspire others in the industry. Done poorly, it can damage trust and invite accusations of greenwashing.

Why market your sustainability?

Sharing your sustainability story has many benefits:

  • Attract conscious travellers — growing numbers of visitors prefer sustainable options

  • Build trust — transparency about your practices creates confidence

  • Differentiate — stand out from competitors

  • Create value — sustainability can justify premium pricing

  • Inspire others — your story encourages industry improvement

  • Attract staff — people want to work for responsible businesses

Understanding your audience

Different visitors care about different things:

Sustainability seekers

Actively looking for sustainable options:

  • Research sustainability credentials before booking

  • Willing to pay more for sustainable experiences

  • Want detailed information about your practices

  • Share sustainable experiences with others

Sustainability considerers

Open to sustainability but not their primary focus:

  • Appreciate sustainability when it's easy to understand

  • See it as a positive rather than a deciding factor

  • Prefer simple, authentic messaging

  • May be influenced by sustainability at point of decision

All visitors

Everyone benefits from sustainability:

  • Fresh, local food tastes better

  • Clean, natural environments enhance experiences

  • Well-treated staff provide better service

  • Genuine cultural experiences are more meaningful

Principles of authentic green marketing

Be honest

Authenticity is essential:

  • Only claim what you can back up

  • Be specific rather than vague

  • Acknowledge where you're still improving

  • Don't exaggerate your achievements

Be specific

Vague claims lack credibility:

  • Weak: "We're committed to sustainability"

  • Strong: "We've reduced our energy use by 30% since 2020 and source 100% renewable electricity"

Be relevant

Focus on what matters:

  • Highlight actions most meaningful to visitors

  • Connect sustainability to the experience

  • Explain why your efforts matter

  • Make it easy to understand

Be transparent

Show your working:

  • Share data where possible

  • Explain your methodology

  • Acknowledge challenges

  • Invite questions and feedback

Avoiding greenwashing

Greenwashing damages trust. Avoid these common traps:

Vague language

Don't use meaningless terms:

  • "Eco-friendly" without explanation

  • "Green" without specifics

  • "Natural" without context

  • "Sustainable" without evidence

Irrelevant claims

Don't highlight minor actions:

  • Claiming credit for legally required practices

  • Emphasising small actions while ignoring larger impacts

  • Focusing on one area while neglecting others

Hidden trade-offs

Don't obscure the full picture:

  • "We use recycled paper" but print excessively

  • "We plant trees" but don't reduce emissions

  • "We source locally" for one ingredient while importing most

False impressions

Don't mislead through imagery or suggestion:

  • Nature imagery for products that harm the environment

  • Certification logos you don't actually hold

  • Implying achievements you haven't made

What to communicate

Your journey

Share your sustainability story:

  • Why sustainability matters to you

  • How you got started

  • Key milestones you've achieved

  • What you're working on now

  • Where you're heading

Specific actions

Highlight concrete initiatives:

  • Energy efficiency improvements

  • Waste reduction achievements

  • Local and sustainable sourcing

  • Community partnerships

  • Conservation contributions

Certifications and recognition

Showcase third-party validation:

  • Eco-certifications you hold

  • Awards and recognition

  • Industry memberships

  • Partnerships with recognised organisations

Impact and outcomes

Share measurable results:

  • Emissions reduced

  • Waste diverted from landfill

  • Local spending

  • Conservation outcomes

  • Community benefits

Where to communicate

Your website

Create dedicated sustainability content:

  • Sustainability page or section

  • Integration throughout site content

  • Clear certification logos

  • Links to evidence and verification

Pre-visit communications

Include sustainability in:

  • Booking confirmations

  • Pre-arrival information

  • Joining instructions

  • Preparation advice

On-site experience

Show your sustainability in action:

  • Signage explaining practices

  • Staff trained to discuss sustainability

  • Visible sustainability features

  • Guest participation opportunities

Post-visit follow-up

Reinforce your message:

  • Thank visitors for participating

  • Share impact of their visit

  • Invite feedback

  • Encourage sharing

Social media

Share your story regularly:

  • Behind-the-scenes glimpses

  • Staff sustainability initiatives

  • Milestones and achievements

  • Tips and inspiration for others

Marketing materials

Integrate sustainability into:

  • Brochures and flyers

  • Advertising

  • Email marketing

  • Media releases

Creating effective content

Tell stories

Stories connect more than statistics:

  • Share why an initiative started

  • Feature staff leading sustainability

  • Highlight visitor experiences

  • Connect actions to outcomes

Use visually

Show rather than just tell:

  • Photos of sustainable practices

  • Infographics with data

  • Video of initiatives in action

  • Before and after comparisons

Keep it simple

Make sustainability accessible:

  • Avoid jargon and technical language

  • Explain concepts simply

  • Focus on what matters most

  • Use clear structure

Be personal

Connect to values:

  • Share your personal commitment

  • Explain what motivates you

  • Connect to place and community

  • Be genuine and humble

Using Tourism for Good for marketing

Your Tourism for Good profile supports marketing:

Your sustainability profile

Create a comprehensive profile:

  • Go to Tourism for Good

  • Complete your sustainability pledge

  • Take the assessment

  • Add evidence of your achievements

  • Link to certifications

Sharing your profile

Use your profile to:

  • Link from your website

  • Include in marketing materials

  • Share with trade partners

  • Submit for directories

The Tourism for Good badge

Display your commitment:

  • Earn your Tourism for Good badge

  • Download badge assets

  • Display on your website and materials

  • Link back to your verified profile

Measuring marketing effectiveness

Track how your sustainability marketing performs:

Website analytics

Monitor:

  • Traffic to sustainability pages

  • Time spent on sustainability content

  • Conversion from sustainability pages

Booking data

Track:

  • Mentions of sustainability in enquiries

  • Bookings referencing sustainability

  • Customer feedback on sustainability

Social engagement

Measure:

  • Engagement on sustainability content

  • Shares and comments

  • Sentiment of responses

Customer feedback

Ask:

  • Was sustainability a factor in booking?

  • How did you learn about our sustainability?

  • What sustainability aspects were most important?

Authentic sustainability marketing inspires others and attracts visitors who share your values.

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