Eco Say Eco Do
How often do you find your environmental conscience affecting your daily decisions? With Greta Thunberg making waves at the UN and plastics polluting the oceans, environmental awareness is growing globally and not just for those curious minds seeking out the information.
It is little wonder the sustainable and eco-tourism movement continues to grow off the back of this awareness. This understanding and sense of personal responsibility increase the need for competing brands within this movement to differentiate themselves beyond location and price.
Brands need to define their values
The conscious consumer is looking for brands that align with their values. Sustainable travel brands have to be able to declare their eco-credentials and deliver a narrative that matches the depth of commitment they are willing to bring to the movement. Define the uniqueness of the brand offer, establish the truths beneath and give your customer reasons to believe. The savvy traveller can quickly spot the eco-peacock from the authentic brand.
There is no doubt sustainable and eco-travel is becoming more mainstream. Established brands are improving their current practices and introducing new initiatives, while young, agile and innovative brands set new benchmarks and claim their share of the market with values and actions that resonate with the customer.
“Recent research carried out by Booking.com shows 72% of travellers believe people need to act now and make sustainable travel choices to save the planet for future generations.”
However, travellers recognising a sustainable place to stay is a different matter, with as many again (72%) saying they are not aware of the existence of eco-labels for vacation accommodation, while 37% affirm that an international standard for identifying eco-friendly accommodation would help encourage them to travel more sustainably, and 62% would feel better about staying in an accommodation if they knew it had an eco-label.
Eco say eco do
The figures go some way to reaffirm the need for those in the sustainable and eco-tourism space to ensure their branding process goes beyond the pretty and into the nitty-gritty! Time to roll up the sleeves and dig deeper to unearth your brand story. It is all there to be found and sometimes it just needs the right team behind you, shovel in hand, to make those discoveries.
For over 14 years Linassi+Co has worked with new and existing hospitality brands to define and celebrate who they are and what they stand for. By discovering and articulating the unique in every offer, we create messaging with real meaning that resonates with your audience. We give eco-brands something to stand for. Eco say is worth nothing without the eco do!
Case Study
Barefoot Hideaway Corporation came to Linassi+Co with an R&D project underway on 123 hectares of tropical forest in Papagayo, Costa Rica. With five safari-tented suites sharing the forest and two deserted beaches, their idea was to establish a resort concept that could establish itself in remote locations in a fraction of the time it would take a traditional operation. This would be done in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way, using natural materials and off-grid utilities.
