In a world once obsessed with towel origami and diamond-encrusted minibars, Asia’s hospitality game is getting a long-overdue conscience. This isn’t just another glossy campaign to look good in brochures. It’s a bona fide shift from mindless indulgence to meaningful immersion, with sustainability as the new status symbol.
At the Economist Impact’s 4th annual Sustainability Week Asia in Bangkok, the articulate and ever-engaging Professor Lisa Wan, Associate Professor at CUHK Business School’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management, made a compelling case for why travel needs to grow up.
“The surge of post-pandemic travel didn’t just breathe life back into tourism,” she said, with a knowing look. “It also laid bare its burdens — overcrowding, environmental stress, and the unsettling reality of overtourism.” The message was clear: we can’t keep turning up in droves expecting the world to tidy up after us.
Tourists Behaving Badly
Among Professor Wan’s more fascinating insights is the concept of “psychological distance” — essentially, the holiday version of ‘not my backyard.’ It turns out that once travellers are 30,000 feet above their local responsibilities, something shifts.
“People treat destinations like Disneyland. They forget it’s someone else’s home,” she said, managing to tread that fine line between academic and utterly relatable.
Professor Lisa Wan speaks during the Spotlight Interview at Economist Impact’s Sustainability Week Asia 2025
The solution? Remind people they’re guests, not spectators. Wan suggests that something as simple as a warm smile from a local can work wonders. “When travellers connect with a place, they start caring for it,” she added. Who knew empathy could be more effective than laminated signage?
Farm Boots and Chopsticks
From Japan’s Satoyama villages to Hong Kong’s alleyway storytellers, experiential travel is doing the heavy lifting. These immersive experiences get tourists out of the buffet line and into the thick of local culture — rice paddy and all.
And it’s working. Participants tend to be more mindful, less wasteful, and remarkably eager to share their newfound enlightenment with others. If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I churned my own tofu in Kyoto,” they probably mean well.
Luxury With a Moral Compass
Far from the myth that sustainability and luxury are at odds, Wan argues that today’s top-tier travellers want meaning wrapped in Egyptian cotton. Case in point: Six Senses Resorts, where the wine is organic, the wood is reclaimed, and the Wi-Fi is optional.
“Luxury is shifting from excess to quality over quantity,” she explained. That means fewer gold-plated taps and more connection to nature, culture, and community. And frankly, it’s about time.
High-status guests, it seems, also want their eco-credentials to be visible. As Wan quipped, “It’s fashionable to care.” Sustainability is no longer a sacrifice. It’s a statement piece.
One Message Doesn’t Suit All
Hoteliers eager to ride the green wave should be wary of generic messaging. Wan’s research reveals that cultural nuance is everything:
- Younger Asian travellers want to see visible sustainability in action.
- Older Western guests prefer recognisable eco-certifications.
Forget blanket emails. The modern guest has done their homework, and they’ll know if your bamboo straws are just window dressing.
Healthy Rivalry, Greener Hotels
Over at CUHK, Wan and her team have whipped up the Hotel Sustainability Index for the Greater Bay Area, sparking a spirited dash for the green finish line. “We’ve seen scores improving every year,” she said. “It’s no longer about ticking boxes — it’s about pride.”
If the industry is going to compete, it would be better to focus on reducing carbon footprints than on carpet thickness.
Thailand and the Southeast Asia Equation
In tourism powerhouses like Thailand, sustainability is more than just good PR — it’s a matter of survival. Yet Wan is quick to counter the false choice between doing well and doing good.
“This isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about smart stewardship,” she concluded. “Protect the environment, uplift communities, and you ensure a vibrant industry for the next generation.”
And with that, Asia’s hospitality industry may just be proving that responsible tourism isn’t a trend. It’s the new tradition.
By Charmaine Lu
