Gen Z and Millennials are pushing hotels toward a new sustainability standard

Younger travelers are rewarding hotels that combine responsible operations with more thoughtful, less crowded travel experiences

A new study from Expedia Group suggests that sustainability is becoming a meaningful commercial factor for hotels, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial travelers. The research indicates that younger guests increasingly consider environmental and social impact when choosing destinations, booking accommodations, and planning travel timing. Rather than reducing travel demand, these travelers are changing their behavior by embracing off-season trips, less crowded destinations, and experiences that feel more locally connected. For hoteliers, the shift points to a growing expectation that sustainability should be visible, practical, and integrated into the guest experience rather than treated as a separate corporate initiative.

Key takeaways

• Sustainability is influencing hotel choice: Younger travelers increasingly factor environmental and social considerations into booking decisions, making sustainability a more visible competitive differentiator for hotels.
• Off-season demand could become an opportunity: Expedia’s findings suggest Gen Z travelers are open to traveling outside peak periods to avoid overcrowding. Hotels may benefit from repositioning shoulder and low-season stays around authenticity, slower travel, and local experiences rather than discounts alone.
• Overtourism concerns are reshaping destination appeal: Travelers are becoming more conscious of the impact tourism has on local communities and infrastructure. Secondary destinations and less crowded regions may gain visibility as travelers seek alternatives to heavily saturated markets.
• Local experiences matter as much as environmental messaging: Younger guests increasingly associate sustainable travel with cultural connection, local food, community interaction, and more meaningful experiences — not just energy-saving initiatives or recycling programs.
• Credibility is becoming more important than marketing language: Hotels may face growing pressure to demonstrate concrete sustainability actions rather than relying on vague “eco-friendly” messaging. Transparent communication around sourcing, energy use, local partnerships, or operational practices could become more important in conversion decisions.
• The guest journey is becoming more values-driven: Sustainability is increasingly blending into broader traveler expectations around wellness, authenticity, flexibility, and conscious consumption. Hotels that align operational practices with these values may strengthen guest loyalty over time.
• Travel demand is shifting rather than shrinking: The report suggests climate concerns are not discouraging younger travelers from taking trips. Instead, demand may redistribute across seasons, destinations, and accommodation types, creating new positioning opportunities for hotels that adapt early.
• Hotels may need to rethink how sustainability is presented online: As AI-driven trip planning and recommendation engines become more influential, clearly structured sustainability information could increasingly affect how hotels are surfaced, recommended, and compared across travel platforms.

Source: Expedia Group

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