New industry study identifies key routes to engaging guests on travelling more sustainably

Accor, a global leader in hospitality, Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, and the University of Surrey, a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education and research, have today published a report based on research aimed at understanding and addressing traveller motivations when it comes to making more sustainable decisions during their stay.

This initiative has been driven by an understanding that guests play a critical role in the efficacy and efficiency of various sustainability initiatives. However, there can be a high level of scepticism among travellers when it comes to their role in those efforts. The research made clear the meaningful contribution messaging plays in motivating more sustainable behaviours, a key component in the continued development of sustainability practices within the industry. This white paper provides a useful reference point on guests; helping to address hospitality’s shared challenges when it comes to bridging the intent to action gap of many travellers. 

Traveling more sustainably is a priority for many travellers, with 83% saying that sustainable travel is important to them, and 67% saying they are inspired to adopt more sustainable behaviours after witnessing responsible practices (Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2024). The impetus for making positive change is therefore clear, and crucial to remaining aligned with our guests’ values and expectations.      

Drawing on lab research, and interviews with global travellers to identify common issues and misconceptions when it comes to sustainability communications, the paper provides four key recommendations to optimize guest messaging in order to promote more sustainable practices:

1. Highlight sustainability practices – including for less sustainable amenities – and show how guests can easily contribute

A key takeaway from the research was the importance of providing clear, specific information about sustainability practices and avoiding big claims such as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’. An example from the study was that messaging that helped the guest understand their part in reducing food waste was found to reduce levels of skepticism from 46% to 21%, compared to more generic and vague messaging. This shows the importance for hotels to demonstrate they are playing their part to address sustainability issues, with specific and focused messages crucial to better engaging guests and avoiding perceptions of greenwashing.

2. Balance appeals to pleasure and comfort for optimal results

Interviews conducted with travellers highlighted the fact that it can feel difficult to have a pleasure-filled trip while making more sustainable decisions. Many travellers associate the notion of sustainability with more restricted and less enjoyable experiences. To overcome this, hotels should balance sustainability messages around both pleasure and comfort, highlighting options which are both enjoyable and sustainable, such as scenic train rides or local culinary experiences. Sustainability messages which focus on comfort or pleasure were found to increase feelings of satisfaction and joy by 145% and 475% respectively, over examples of existing messaging being used.

3. Empower guests, don’t constrain or dictate to them

The research indicates that guests prefer an empowering approach to sustainability communications rather than feeling dictated to, with 55% reporting feeling skeptical toward assertive messages such as “limit your water use”. As such, hotels should adopt a tone that encourages guests to make informed choices without pressure. By sharing knowledge about local sustainable options—like public transport schedules—hotels can position guests as active participants in sustainability efforts. 

4. Help guests act as responsibly as they do at home

The final takeaway is that many travellers wish to maintain their sustainable habits while away from home, but hotel processes and operations can often make them feel constrained in doing so. Messaging that evokes familiarity, trust and heartfelt care is therefore important to ensuring sustainable actions remain intuitive, helping guests feel more connected to their surroundings and encouraging repeat visits. In particular, messages that seek  to create a sense of home were perceived as twice as responsible than messaging currently in use, and reduced skepticism to more than half of current levels.

These insights were gathered following a two phased research exercise which gathered quantitative and qualitative data from numerous surveys and lab based behavioural experiments. 

The first phase of this research involved 24 in-depth interviews with 100 guests from the US, Germany, France, and India, focusing on their expectations regarding sustainability and its influence on booking decisions. After these interviews, Booking.com’s research team followed 22 guests from the same countries via a diary study covering the planning, booking, and travelling phases of their trips. This aimed to understand what role sustainability played at each stage and to capture the highs and lows of their stay through the lens of sustainability.  

Benefitting from the University of Surrey’s leading academic resources, the second research phase was then able to provide deeper insights based on rigorous behavioural research from Surrey’s Human Insight Lab. This research looked at the emotional and physiological responses of nearly 70 customers presented with different sets of sustainability messages, utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as eye tracking, galvanic skin responses, and facial analysis software. The researchers also conducted interviews with the same set of customers, employing advanced psychological approaches through projective techniques. These methods enabled them to gain deeper insights into customer experience by tapping into subconscious responses. Combined with sensor data from three key technologies, these techniques provided unparalleled insights for the industry. These findings will support the industry in enhancing positive customer experiences and driving sustainable behaviour change, ultimately leading to long-term customer loyalty and improved environmental outcomes.

Quote from University of Surrey:

“At the University of Surrey, we are committed to advancing research that drives meaningful change. Through our collaboration with Accor and Booking.com, we apply cutting-edge behavioural insights to understand how sustainability messaging can better engage guests and influence decision-making. By combining academic rigour with industry expertise, this research provides hospitality professionals with evidence-based strategies to make sustainable travel more intuitive, impactful, and actionable.” Prof Xavier Font, Professor of Sustainability Marketing

Quote from Accor: 

"Creating more sustainable hospitality experiences is a journey of learning and humility. At Accor, with over 45 hotel brands, we're excited to set new marketing standards to make sustainability messaging clearer and more impactful. Too often, these communications are vague, leaving brand leaders without practical guidance. Our partnership with Booking.com and the University of Surrey aims to equip marketing and communication experts with actionable insights that truly engage guests in our hotels’ impact journey. By sharing this work openly, we hope to inspire both global brands and independent properties to craft compelling narratives that empower guests to be part of the change." Jordane de Villaret, VP Sustainability Marketing & Communications 

Quote from Booking.com:

"Many hospitality providers are making great strides in their sustainability journeys. However, they still meet a number of challenges. Engaging travelers on the efforts they are making is one of them, and the cooperation of guests can be vital to the efficacy of many sustainability practices. At Booking.com, we're committed to collaborating with partners across the industry to help overcome the various barriers hospitality providers face. The aim of our collaboration with Accor and the University of Surrey is to enable more hospitality providers to optimize the impact of their sustainability efforts and positively influence traveler behavior towards embracing more sustainable actions and choices." Danielle D'Silva, Director of Sustainability, Booking.com.

Together it is hoped that this collaborative report will help to foster a more responsible and environmentally conscious travel experience, setting a new standard for the industry and contributing to a positive global impact. 

To download and read the full report please visit: https://group.accor.com/-/media/Corporate/Medias/PDF-for-pages/accor-booking-surrey-engaging-travellers-to-embrace-more-sustainable-behaviours

[ENDS]

Notes to editors

The report was put together following a two phased research exercise which gathered quantitative and qualitative data from numerous surveys and lab based behavioural experiments. 

The first phase of this research involved 24 in-depth interviews with 100 guests from the US, Germany, France, and India, focusing on their expectations regarding sustainability and its influence on booking decisions. After these interviews, Booking.com’s research team followed 22 guests from the same countries via a diary study covering the planning, booking, and traveling phases of their trips. This aimed to understand what role sustainability played at each stage and to capture the highs and lows of their stay through the lens of sustainability. This phase also involved over 40 survey interviews with guests from the US, Germany, France, and India, focusing on their expectations regarding sustainability and its influence on booking decisions. 

Benefitting from the University of Surrey’s leading academic resources, the second research phase was then able to provide additional objective insight based on rigorous lab based behavioural research. This research included analyzing the emotional and physiological responses of nearly 70 participants presented with differing sustainability messages, utilizing technologies such as eye tracking, galvanic skin responses, and facial analysis software. 

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ABOUT ACCOR

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,600 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry’s most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion.  Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit www.group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.  

ABOUT BOOKING.COM

Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com’s marketplace seamlessly connects millions of travelers with memorable experiences every day. For more information, follow @bookingcom on social media or visit globalnews.booking.com.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

The University of Surrey is dedicated to transforming lives and addressing global challenges with a strategic focus on sustainability, people-centred AI, space, the future of work, lifelong health and ageing well.  

Through our research community we drive innovation that delivers positive impacts for communities and the economy. Our dynamic and forward-thinking teaching educates and trains consistently highly employable graduates. This vibrant learning environment has contributed to the University being ranked 11th in the UK for overall student satisfaction according to the National Student Survey 2024.  

In the UK, Surrey is ranked 12th in the Complete University Guide 2025, 19th in the Guardian University Guide 2025, and 21st in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. 

Media contacts

ACCOR 
Alexis Blottière – Senior Communications Manager – alexis.blottiere@accor.com 

Melanie Mahiette – Senior Communications Manager – melanie.mahiette@accor.com 

BOOKING.COM 
mediarelations@booking.com 

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY 
Georgie Gould – Media Officer – mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk