Hotels for Trees
Hotels for Trees: a non-profit foundation
Offering much more than just a place to sleep, Hotels for Trees presents the opportunity to join a collective movement towards environmental improvement, operating as a non-profit foundation established in May 2021. The simple genius behind the concept is hospitality with a conscience, where sustainability is not just a buzzword, but rather behavioral change to improve ecological impacts. Choose to skip daily room cleaning, and a tree is planted in your name. Your nap becomes a seed, and your towel reuse becomes a forest.
Edwin Schaerlaeckens is the Tree Planting Officer for North America and point of contact for any queries, questions and information. Working with several other partners and individuals, their vision is “dedicated to reducing CO2 emissions” through the hotel industry – One tree at a time.
Aligning directly with guest participation, qualifying hotel stays result in the planting of a tree through established reforestation partners. This type of business model converts operational savings from reduced housekeeping into long-term ecological reforestation, creating a system where efficiency and sustainability reinforce one another. By allowing both hospitality business and hotel guests to contribute globally, the program has been wildly successful. Reporting guest participation rates around 30 percent, international operations in 31 countries, 257 collaborating hotels, and 45 progressive projects underway.
Recent consumer preference data shows us that Americans are adopting eco-friendly mind shifts toward more sustainable travel and consumption choices, both for personal and business use. What that means for the hospitality industry is travelers are actively engaged with participation in measurable, sustainability efforts without compromising convenience or comfort. Each travel adventure represents a micro-opportunity for guests to reduce the carbon footprint and normalize eco-conscious travel standards.
Hospitality professionals occupy a unique space, being uniquely positioned to drive meaningful initiatives to engage consumers for eco-conscious operational responsibility and brand impact. Because the hospitality industry thrives on service, trust, and guest experience, they hold the extraordinary power to influence consumer habits at scale. Hotels for Trees demonstrates that brand identity can be strengthened by embracing sustainability practices. This type of leadership in the industry forges pathways that weave eco-conscious choices into the guest experience as well as cultivating a culture where thoughtful decisions are globally impactful.
As Robert Swan reminds us, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
For more information visit HotelsforTrees.com, find them on LinkedIn, or enroll here to become a hotel partner.
Edwin Schaerlaeckens
Tree Planting Officer
Regional Manager – North America
