Sixty-three percent of consumers now consider sustainability when choosing a hotel. This demand contrasts with operational realities, as hotels can reduce water consumption by 20% to 40% through simple retrofits like efficient fixtures.
Key Takeaways
- 63% of consumers consider sustainability when choosing a hotel
- 49% of business travelers say sustainability is important when choosing accommodations
- 32% of hotels report that water conservation is a top sustainability priority
- $1.5 billion is the estimated global market value for sustainable tourism initiatives (industry estimate in The Business Research Company report)
- $2.2 billion global market for green building materials in 2023 (industry market sizing from IMARC Group)
- $9.8 billion global smart buildings market size in 2024 (industry market sizing from MarketsandMarkets)
- Low-flow showerheads can reduce hot water use by 25% to 60% (US EPA WaterSense specification guidance)
- Food waste reduction initiatives can reduce disposal and purchasing costs, with US EPA noting 21% of retail food waste is recoverable (EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy materials)
- 1,381,000 metric tons of CO2e per year were avoided by Wyndham through sustainability initiatives (Wyndham Group sustainability report figure)
- Hilton reported 61% reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per square meter since 2014 (Hilton ESG report metrics)
- Accor reported 22% reduction in total energy consumption per occupied room since 2017 (Accor Universal Registration Document / ESG metrics)
- A 2020 peer-reviewed review found that hotel sector interventions reducing energy and water often yield measurable improvements in resource efficiency with payback periods ranging from 1 to 5 years depending on retrofit type (systematic review)
- A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment found that food and beverage supplies can represent up to 30% of a hotel’s total environmental impact depending on procurement and menus (journal LCA study)
- Hotels can reduce water consumption by 20% to 40% using water-efficient fixtures in retrofit programs (peer-reviewed water management hotel study)
Most guests and hotels see sustainability as essential, and smart upgrades can cut costs and emissions fast.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
63% of consumers consider sustainability when choosing a hotel
02
49% of business travelers say sustainability is important when choosing accommodations
03
32% of hotels report that water conservation is a top sustainability priority
04
91% of hotels expect sustainability regulations to increase operating costs
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Under industry trends, sustainability is quickly becoming a major selection factor with 63% of consumers considering it when choosing a hotel, yet 91% of hotels expect new sustainability regulations to raise operating costs.
02 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
$1.5 billion is the estimated global market value for sustainable tourism initiatives (industry estimate in The Business Research Company report)
02
$2.2 billion global market for green building materials in 2023 (industry market sizing from IMARC Group)
03
$9.8 billion global smart buildings market size in 2024 (industry market sizing from MarketsandMarkets)
04
$6.3 billion global energy management systems market size in 2023 (industry market sizing from Fortune Business Insights)
05
$1.1 billion global sustainable packaging market size in 2023 (industry market sizing from IMARC Group)
06
$35.2 billion global environmental consulting market size in 2023 (industry market sizing from Grand View Research)
07
$14.4 billion global waste management market size in 2023 (industry market sizing from Fortune Business Insights)
08
$3.7 billion global green finance market size in 2023 (industry market sizing from OECD/industry synthesis)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the hotel industry’s sustainability market size, the combined pull of fast-growing segments like a $9.8 billion smart buildings market in 2024 and $6.3 billion energy management systems in 2023 shows that investment is concentrating in measurable technologies and services rather than staying niche, with additional sizable opportunities from areas such as waste management at $14.4 billion and green building materials at $2.2 billion.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
Low-flow showerheads can reduce hot water use by 25% to 60% (US EPA WaterSense specification guidance)
02
Food waste reduction initiatives can reduce disposal and purchasing costs, with US EPA noting 21% of retail food waste is recoverable (EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy materials)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For cost analysis in the hotel industry, adopting low-flow showerheads can cut hot water use by 25% to 60%, and food waste reduction can lower both disposal and purchasing costs by tapping into the 21% of retail food waste that is recoverable.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics6 stats
01
1,381,000 metric tons of CO2e per year were avoided by Wyndham through sustainability initiatives (Wyndham Group sustainability report figure)
02
Hilton reported 61% reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per square meter since 2014 (Hilton ESG report metrics)
03
Accor reported 22% reduction in total energy consumption per occupied room since 2017 (Accor Universal Registration Document / ESG metrics)
04
ENERGY STAR reports that hotels can score 75 or higher to be eligible for certification, reflecting superior energy performance (ENERGY STAR Hotels benchmarking thresholds)
05
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager’s weather-normalized Energy Use Intensity (EUI) benchmark is used to compare facilities and drive reductions (ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager documentation)
06
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance requires measurement and verification of energy use (LEED credit requirements)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show real progress, with initiatives helping Wyndham avoid 1,381,000 metric tons of CO2e per year and Hilton cutting scope 1 and 2 emissions per square meter by 61% since 2014 while Accor reduced energy use per occupied room by 22% since 2017.
05 · Category
Emissions & Water6 stats
01
A 2020 peer-reviewed review found that hotel sector interventions reducing energy and water often yield measurable improvements in resource efficiency with payback periods ranging from 1 to 5 years depending on retrofit type (systematic review)
02
A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment found that food and beverage supplies can represent up to 30% of a hotel’s total environmental impact depending on procurement and menus (journal LCA study)
03
Hotels can reduce water consumption by 20% to 40% using water-efficient fixtures in retrofit programs (peer-reviewed water management hotel study)
04
Laundry is often a major water and energy use driver in hotels; studies commonly report laundry represents 10% to 30% of total hotel energy and water demand (peer-reviewed hotel operations study)
05
A typical hotel guest can consume on the order of hundreds of liters of water per day; one major U.S. assessment reports ~300–400 liters/day per person in accommodations (peer-reviewed water use in tourism accommodation)
06
Baselining and auditing under ISO 14064 enables quantification of greenhouse gas emissions for hotels across scopes 1, 2, and 3 (ISO 14064 standard scope quantification requirement)
Interpretation
Emissions & Water Interpretation
For the Emissions and Water category, the evidence shows hotels can cut water use by about 20% to 40% with efficient fixtures and often gain energy and water savings with payback periods of 1 to 5 years, while key hotspots like laundry drive roughly 10% to 30% of total hotel energy and water demand and guest water use can reach around 300 to 400 liters per day.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Hotel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Sustainability In The Hotel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Sustainability In The Hotel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)