#15 - The Sustainable Tourist: Carbon Transparency for the Guest Journey

What does it take to make sustainable travel the norm rather than the exception? In this episode of the Future of Sustainability podcast, Michael Hanf speaks with Rebecca Thompson, CEO and Founder of Sustainable Travel Tech, about how data and transparency can transform tourism.

Rebecca’s journey began as a frustrated traveler. With a background in economics and climate policy, she knew the impact of tourism on emissions, but she struggled to find easy ways to book low-carbon trips. Blogs and certifications provided pieces of information, but nothing matched the seamless experience of mainstream platforms. This gap inspired her to build Sustainable Travel Tech, a B Corp social enterprise that helps accommodation providers measure their climate impact and present verified data at the point of booking.

Travel is highly emotional, and people want their holidays to inspire joy rather than guilt. Rebecca stresses that the goal is not to shame travellers but to provide clear information so they can make the choices they already want to make. Surveys show most people prefer sustainable stays, but few have time to research. Verified data can make climate impact another simple metric alongside price and amenities, while storytelling around food, nature, and community experiences keeps the emotional side of travel intact.

For accommodation providers, data is more than marketing. Measuring energy use and emissions creates a baseline, reveals hidden strengths, and guides investment in efficiency or renewables. Benchmarking against country averages can show where improvements are needed and highlight progress over time. As Rebecca puts it, “Without the data, you can’t show progress.”

The conversation also explores broader challenges in tourism:

• Over-tourism concentrated in specific hotspots, often driven by social media.
• Certifications that are valuable but sometimes too complex or opaque for travellers to understand.
• Economic leakage, where local communities see little benefit from visitors.

On greenwashing, Rebecca is clear: broad claims like “we are sustainable” no longer suffice. Operators should use specific, verifiable statements such as “50 percent of our energy is renewable.” At the same time, she warns against greenhushing, where fear of saying the wrong thing leads companies to stay silent about genuine progress. Verified, third-party data can help solve both problems by giving providers the confidence to communicate honestly.

Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, Rebecca envisions a travel industry where climate impact data for accommodation is as standard as flight emissions are today. Platforms like Skyscanner already display which flights have lower emissions. With enough property-level data, the same will be true for hotels, lodges, and resorts. This will create transparency for travellers, competitive pressure for providers, and better decision-making for tour operators and platforms.

In this episode, recorded with Rebecca Thompson of Sustainable Travel Tech, you will hear:

• Why she left policy to build practical tools for decarbonizing tourism

• How emotional experiences and verified data can work together in travel decisions

• Why measuring emissions is a competitive advantage for hotels

• How greenwashing and greenhushing are shaping tourism marketing

• What a sustainable booking process could look like in 2030

The future of travel will not be defined by slogans but by trust. Data, transparency, and authenticity will determine whether sustainability becomes embedded in tourism or remains an afterthought.

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