Benchmark of Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Businesses

Once we realize how important it is to understand the basis of sustainable development and the implementation of best environmental management practices in the hospitality industry, we may find ourselves in a position where we are not quite sure how — or from where — to begin. We may try to research how other businesses are doing it, what makes them successful or unique in the market, but still lack enough knowledge to implement it in our own business.

This text aims to make things simpler for anyone who wants to understand more about BEMPs but is not in a position to conduct full-scale research. The starting point is understanding the concept of a Benchmark of Excellence.

What is a Benchmark of Excellence?

“Benchmark of Excellence” refers to the highest standard of environmental performance currently achieved by leading stakeholders in the tourism sector. These benchmarks serve as reference points or goals that other businesses and organizations should strive to meet or exceed. They do not represent average industry practices — they represent best-in-class examples, typically based on what is already being done by the most environmentally advanced and sustainable tourism operators.

The idea is to:

• Provide clear targets for continuous improvement
• Encourage ambition beyond mere compliance or minimum requirements
• Facilitate comparison of an organization’s performance against proven, real-world examples
• Support policy-making and voluntary initiatives by identifying what’s realistically achievable

Why Should We Monitor Environmental Performance?

Tourism businesses should monitor all aspects of their environmental impact — not just obvious ones like energy or water use, but also harder-to-measure effects such as biodiversity loss or indirect impacts through supply chains.

The best-performing organizations use specific indicators to track and evaluate progress over time. A tourism enterprise should identify its most important environmental impacts, both direct (e.g. waste, emissions) and indirect (e.g. supply chain, transportation). It should then track progress and compare its performance against benchmarks of excellence.

This approach applies to all tourism stakeholders — hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transport providers, and destination managers. It helps reduce environmental impact and often saves money by revealing inefficiencies and better supplier options.

Staff Engagement and Training

Sustainable tourism businesses ensure all staff are informed and trained on environmental goals. Everyone — from management to housekeeping — understands their role in supporting these goals.

The key best practice is to embed environmental awareness into company culture through training, communication, and ongoing engagement. For example, hotels may train staff to reduce water and chemical use, while restaurants may teach staff how to reduce food waste.

Without staff involvement, even the best sustainability plans are unlikely to succeed.

How Should We Implement Best Practices?

Top-performing tourism businesses actively implement best environmental practices wherever applicable. This could include:

• Using energy-efficient appliances
• Reducing single-use plastics
• Optimizing water usage
• Sourcing food locally and sustainably

Environmental measures should not just be planned — they must be put into action across all relevant areas of the business. Examples include installing low-flow water fixtures in hotels, using electric vehicles for tours, or composting food waste in restaurants.

Lifecycle Thinking in Supply Chains

Leading tourism operators go beyond greening their own operations — they analyze their full supply chain. Lifecycle thinking involves assessing the environmental impact of products and services from raw material to disposal.

They may find the greatest impacts lie outside their walls — such as excessive packaging from suppliers. These become targets for improvement. Best practice includes auditing suppliers, identifying environmental hotspots, and setting criteria for sustainable procurement (e.g. choosing ecolabelled or local suppliers).

Although this can involve upfront costs, it often leads to long-term savings, improved brand image, and alignment with consumer expectations.

Use of Ecolabelled Chemicals

Top-performing hotels and restaurants ensure that at least 97% of chemicals used (by weight of active ingredient) are ecolabelled or can be proven to be the most environmentally friendly option.

This includes:

• Cleaning products
• Detergents
• Disinfectants
• Pesticides or water treatment substances

These chemicals can significantly affect water quality, indoor air, and human health. Using certified products minimizes these risks and supports green business credentials.

Sustainable Sourcing of Materials

The best tourism businesses ensure that at least 97% of wood-based materials (wood, paper, cardboard) are either recycled or environmentally certified (e.g. FSC, PEFC).

This includes:

• Paper for menus, brochures, and office use
• Cardboard for packaging or storage
• Wooden items like furniture, utensils, or decor

The action plan here is to audit procurement and switch to certified materials. This supports forest conservation, reduces deforestation, and aligns with guest expectations for sustainability.

Now we sat the base for the future sustainability plan in our organization, the zero point from where we need to start.