Author: Iiris Hämäläinen
Eco-Lodge. Eco-Tour. Eco-adventure. Eco-friendly safari. Eco-this and eco-that.
Ecotourism is the fastest growing sector within the tourism industry, expanding at a rate of 10% to 30% per year. This is fueled by increasing awareness of environmental issues and a growing desire of travellers to make more responsible choices. To align with these eco-conscious values, many tourism businesses are stepping up their sustainability efforts through actions like recycling, using energy-efficient systems and serving locally produced food.
What is Greenwashing in Tourism?
However, genuine sustainability can be expensive. And when the cost of going green meets the pressure to appear green, some businesses end up leaning on greenwashing – presenting themselves as sustainable when the actions don’t back it up. These unethical tourism practices can range from vague or misleading language to exaggerating or even fabricating sustainability claims.
Greenwashing is harmful for a variety of reasons. It misleads well-meaning travellers into believing they are booking ethical tours or making responsible choices when in reality they may be supporting practices that harm the environment. It also creates an unfair field where genuinely sustainable operators are undermined and hard to recognize. This is why it’s so important to make sure your travel decisions align with your values. It might take a little bit of extra effort while planning a trip, but we are here to help you through it.
Red flags of Unethical Tourism Practices
To avoid supporting hotels, tour operators, or other tourism businesses that engage in greenwashing, it’s essential to know what to look for and recognize the signs of unethical travel. When done right, ecotourism as a form of sustainable tourism, goes beyond nature-based travel by actively contributing to environmental protection, social commitment and economic development. A truly sustainable organization will demonstrate dedication to all these three pillars of sustainability.
But how to tell if a tour is ethical and the commitment is genuine, rather than just eagerness to make money on the trend? Let’s explore the common greenwashing tactics and red flags to watch out for.
Eco-lodge or Eco-lie? Red Flags in “Green” Accommodations
Rustic cabins made from bamboo and thatched roofs, with an “eco-lodge” sign hanging on the entrance. Must be sustainable, right? Not always. One of the most common forms of greenwashing in tourism happens right here: in accommodations that look eco-friendly on the surface but fail to live up to sustainable standards in practice. Even the use of local materials like bamboo or stone can be misleading if those resources were harvested irresponsibly.
Just because a resort markets itself as “green” or “eco-conscious” doesn’t mean it operates ethically. So, watch out for these red flags when choosing where to stay:
🚩No transparency about energy sources or supply chains
🚩Lack of clear waste management practices
🚩Resource-heavy amenities such as a pool that draws water from a local supply in a drought-prone area
🚩Construction in sensitive ecosystems, at the expense of local wildlife and nature
🚩No support for local communities
🚩Overuse of single-use or disposable products like toiletries or packaging
🚩Minimal or superficial sustainability policies
Cultural Experiences that Stage Authenticity = Always a Red Flag
Many travellers are eager to experience the “authentic” lives of local communities: to get a glimpse of how people live, what they cook, which spiritual rituals they have and what kind of weaving, farming or crafting they do. However, what they get to see is often not the real lives of people, but rather curated performances staged to meet tourist expectations. Instead of genuine cultural immersion, these shows are exaggerated and inaccurate representations of a culture. Is it ethical to turn people themselves into attractions under the guise of authenticity? The answer should be quite clear.
One of the clearest red flags is the rise of ethnic theme parks, where communities are enclosed behind gates and visitors are charged for the day of entertainment. Rather than preserving local heritage, these shallow representations erode them: traditional knowledge and skills are undermined, and the deeper complexity of a culture’s heritage and identity is ignored. However, it doesn’t always require an ethnic theme park for unethical practices to take place. Beware of these red flags whether inside a theme park or elsewhere:
🚩Performances that feel scripted or staged
🚩Locals being treated as attractions rather than active participants or hosts
🚩Oversimplified or stereotyped representations of culture
🚩Traditions presented without context or explanation
🚩Tourists being encouraged to take selfies with locals
🚩Visits that disrupt the daily lives of communities
Screaming Red: Lack of Local Involvement
Whether in ethnic theme parks or other forms of tourism, local communities often receive little to no economic benefit. For tourism to be ethical, regenerative and sustainable, it must be done on the terms of local people – not external organizations. Locals should not just be involved but take the lead in every stage of tourism development in their region: from planning and management to execution, evaluation and benefit sharing. Here are some indicators of tourism practices that don’t involve locals:
🚩No local participation in decision-making
🚩Profits go to foreign or outside actors
🚩Lack of local ownership or leadership
🚩Superficial involvement of locals
🚩Infrastructure benefits tourists, not locals
🚩Misleading claims about “community-based tourism”
🚩Businesses not offering training, education or long-term opportunities to locals
Sanctuaries Turned into Chasing Fields: Red Flags in Wildlife Tourism
Not all “eco-tours” or so-called animal sanctuaries are truly ethical or committed to wildlife conservation. While they may market themselves using terms like “sustainable” or “sanctuary,” many of these operations prioritize generating profit and satisfying tourist demand. They provide photo opportunities, performances, and direct contact experiences ignoring the needs and wellbeing of the animals themselves. So, here is when the warning bells should be ringing:
🚩Activities involving direct interaction like feeding, petting, riding, or bathing animals
🚩Animals kept in chains or small cages
🚩Animals forced to perform tricks or exhibit unnatural behaviours
🚩Tours where boats or jeeps chase wildlife
🚩Large crowds gathering too close to animals, disrupting their natural behaviour
🚩Hidden practices such as forced breeding or separating young animals from their mothers
How to Spot Greenwashing Before You Go
Spotting unethical tourism practices while traveling is important, but ideally, we should avoid them before the journey even begins. Before booking the “eco-friendly” hotel or signing up for a “sustainable” tour, it’s worth taking a closer look. Greenwashing in tourism often hides behind vague language and empty promises. So when actions fail to match the words, it’s a clear sign something is wrong. Here’s more in detail how to read between the lines and recognize when sustainability claims might not hold up:
Vague or misleading language & Buzzwords
Using broad, undefined terms or claims so that their real meaning is easily misunderstood.
Relying on phrases like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” without explaining how or without meaningful changes being done.
Marketing slogans lack supporting information.
Lack of transparency
No clear details about sustainability practices or supply chains.
No access to policies, reports or measurable impacts.
Strong rhetoric
Exaggerated language like “100% eco-friendly” or “world’s greenest tour” with no proof.
Dramatic claims that distract from the lack of real environmental commitment.
Misleading or suggestive visuals
Using photos or other visuals with greenery, forests or wildlife without context or evidence.
Diverting your attention & Irrelevance
Highlighting minor green features to make entire business look sustainable while ignoring other environmental issues.
Using claims that are true but irrelevant, like “we recycle paper” at a resort that has huge water waste.
No proof & Non-credible Labels
Claims aren’t provided with easily accessible information, links to data or reliable third-party certification.
Using self-made or fake eco-labels that sound official but don’t have real standards.
Putting the burden on customers
Sustainability depends solely on guest behaviour, with suggestions like “reuse your towels” or “turn off the air conditioning when leaving the room”.
No efforts from the business itself to reduce its environmental impact.
Checklist: How to travel ethically
By now, it should be somewhat clear that avoiding greenwashing and unethical tourism practices starts with avoiding everything that has been mentioned in this post so far. However, here is still a final recap to make sustainable choices as clear and easy as possible:
Match words with actions – If a company is committed to sustainability, it will have tangible actions to support its claims.
Certifications help but aren’t everything – Recognized labels are useful, but not all companies can afford them while still doing amazing work with sustainability. Dig deeper.
Support local economies – Prioritize businesses that are grounded in local empowerment and contribute to the community.
Check environmental protection measures – Find detailed information about a company’s sustainability initiatives from their annual report, website, and social media channels. Are they focused on activities that make the greatest difference or just taking the easy steps?
Be cautious with animal tourism – Do research by reading reviews, looking photos or finding guidance from credible organizations. Avoid experiences with direct contact or unnatural behaviour.
Ask questions – Always reach out to businesses if something is unclear. This holds them accountable to their claims and encourages them to communicate their progress transparently.
Ready to go? We think so! Follow us for more information, tips and stories on regenerative tourism. We are on this journey together.
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