The Guest Experience by Honeytrek: Making Sustainable Choices

Among the many things we love about glamping, it's inherently more sustainable than your average brick-and-mortar hotel. Honoring the landscape, treading lightly on the land and commonly off-grid, glamping's simple nature is surprisingly progressive. Booking.com's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report contained insights gathered from more than 29,000 travelers across 30 countries, and found that 83% of people think sustainable travel is vital. In a brand new study by Vacationer, 78% of American adults (representing 202 million people) said they would pay more for a vacation with a lower carbon footprint. So, in other words, your clientele, your accountant and the planet want your glamping operation to be even more sustainable. Here's how...

When designing and enhancing your camp, use the raw terrain as your site map. Where are there natural breaks in the forest to fit a tent or rolling hills to perch on? See how few trees you can cut down and how little you need a bulldozer. Ask yourself, if you had to pack up your entire camp, what kind of scars would it leave on the land? At the award-winning Treebones Resort, their most luxurious accommodation (500+ square feet, with a fireplace, claw-foot tub and looks akin to the Sydney Opera House) could be broken down in a day and leave only four postholes in the ground. When it comes to land conservation, the Brando Resort could have built on all 12 islets in their private French Polynesian atoll, but instead, they left 11 exclusively for the flora and fauna. And where this hotel did build, they used local, reclaimed or sustainably-certified materials and met LEED Platinum standards.

We all know that renewable energy sources are a better long-term solution so let’s all get on board! Plus in glamping’s typically remote locales, off-grid power gives you more options for where you can build and offer amenities. While you might think guests would be off-put with reduced power in the evenings, if you manage their expectations and tell them how their efforts are helping the planet, they’ll start to see this minor “inconvenience” as a form of altruism. You can also turn your power limitations into a source of fun and romance. Like at the off-grid Pacuare Lodge, instead of offering electricity at night, their lighting is all candle-lit lanterns, candelabras, and votives that make the bedrooms glow. Around the property, opt for LED lights, motion sensors, and timers for a lower draw. And if you need a generator, look for one that can run on biodiesel or even veggie oil.

Freshwater is our planet’s most precious resource; we all need to conserve it and make it easy for our guests to pitch in. We tip our hat to Under Canvas for their various eco-conscious initiatives like 100% renewable energy and their commitment to eliminating plastics, though we’d like to call out their water-saving strategies. Pull chain showers, faucets that automatically shut off, low-flow toilets, a towel reuse program, and other conscientious practices have allowed them to use 87% less water than an average hotel. Go even further by capturing your greywater from sinks and showers to flush toilets and set up rain catchments from your roofs so water collection can nourish your garden.

We know some rural areas don’t make it easy to recycle, but as a steward of the environment and host to eco-conscious travelers, it is your duty to reduce, reuse, and recycle. At a rollicking ranch in Washington State, where the dance floor was bumping and beer bottles were popping, we had a grand old time but our respect for the place dropped a notch when we heard the saloon did not recycle. Whether it’s storing your clean recyclables until you can make a bi-monthly run to waste management or hiring a company to come collect them, find a way. To help lighten the load, opt for cans and cardboard over single-use glass, and always avoid single-use plastic. Seek out renewable (bamboo, bioplastics, etc) or reusable materials and vendors that help you work towards that zero-waste goal. Plus, isn’t using real dishware, cutlery, and napkins just more enjoyable for everyone?

Ever heard of a “foodprint”? It’s the environmental and social cost of everything it takes to get your food from the farm to your plate. Sourcing (or hopefully growing) ingredients that are organic, in-season, local, and fair-trade will reduce your operation’s impact. We went vegan seven years ago because it is “the single biggest measure,” according to Oxford University, that a person can take to lighten their carbon footprint and reduce their food’s emissions by up to 73%. Offering more plant-based options is not only better for the environment, but will be appreciated by your eco-conscious guests, regardless of their diet. One approach we’ve seen at a variety of glamping camps, like Luna Lodge in Costa Rica, is to offer family-style meals with a hearty spread of vegetarian dishes and a platter of grilled meat if anyone really wants it. When it comes to food waste, make composting a part of your cooking and clean-up routine. It will reduce your trash load, prevent methane emissions, and improve your soil. For more info on everything from composting to sustainable dining, check out FoodPrint.org

If you’ve built a glamping property in a rural area, you’re likely the fanciest place for miles. Your neighbors know all about you, but do you know about them? Get acquainted with the local leaders, make an effort to understand the culture, and honor the area’s heritage in your design, cuisine, activities, and ethos. Hire locally when possible, open up select events to the community, and offer locals-only deals. Support regional non-profits with donations (be it room nights at a charity auction, a portion of your proceeds, or annual giving, etc.) and surface ways your guests can give back or get involved. We love that Playa Viva encourages guests to share their talents with their tiny town of Juluchuca, Mexico… be it teaching music at the school or offering chiropractic services for a few hours. Eco-friendly properties can also list their camp on KindTraveler.com, the first socially conscious Give+Get hotel booking platform (and a target market for potential glampers), where guests get deals when they donate to local causes.

• Water Refilling Stations: Encourage guests to bring their own reusable bottles and provide branded vessels for guests that forget. Add refilling stations around the property and glass water carafes at bedside tables.

• Provide Eco-friendly Products: Seek out products that are organic, cruelty-free, and or made in zero-waste facilities. EO bath products, Under The Canopy bedding, and MadeTrade.com for a wide variety of ethical and sustainable home goods, all hit the mark.

• Refillable Containers: Ditch the sample size soaps, shampoos, coffee creamers, and anything you can buy in bulk, and repackage in pretty and enduring vessels.

• Shop Locally: Cut back on long-haul deliveries and earn brownie points in town by supporting your neighborhood farmers, artisans, and purveyors of fine things.

• In-Room Recycling & Compost: Make it easy for guests to be mindful travelers and keep up good habits with separate trash bins.

• Pack for a Purpose: Sign up with PackForAPurpose.org to help pinpoint what supplies your local orgs (schools, clinics, preserves, etc) could use and what guests can pack in their suitcases as a contribution.

To further guide your sustainability initiatives and get recognized for your efforts, consider applying for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) or ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification. More and more travelers are looking for these accreditations and associated badges of honor on homepages and booking platforms. Until then, share your sustainable journey on your website, be it on your About Us page or a dedicated section of your site. Prospective guests want to hear how you are taking action and why your operation is helping them make responsible travel choices to leave the environment and local communities stronger than before.

Travel can be a force for good and we know that glamping can gracefully lead the charge!

Traveling for the last 10 years across 63 countries, Mike & Anne are travel experts with a glamping speciality. They launched HoneyTrek.com to chronicle their journey, and have since written National Geographic’s bestselling book Ultimate Journeys for Two and the first guide to glamping in North America, Comfortably Wild. Earning a Lowell Thomas Journalism Award for their book and a seat on the American Glamping Association Board of Advisors, they are committed to the success of the glamping industry. Businesses from budding glampgrounds to established tent manufacturers have partnered with the Howards for their skills as photographers, writers, influencers, and consultants to improve their guest experience and share it with the world. Visit HoneyTrek.com/GlampingExperts