The Sustainable Tourist - On transparency, trust, and the future of sustainable travel

What will it take to make sustainable travel the default 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 why better data may be one of the most important tools for transforming the tourism industry.Rebecca's journey began as a traveller frustrated by how difficult it was to understand the real sustainability impact of a holiday. While travellers increasingly want to make responsible choices, reliable information about climate impact, environmental performance, and broader sustainability considerations is often missing when booking accommodation. That experience led her to build Sustainable Travel Tech, a B Corp social enterprise helping hotels and accommodation providers measure, verify, and communicate their sustainability performance.Together, Michael and Rebecca explore why transparency is becoming a competitive advantage for the hospitality sector. They discuss how trusted sustainability data can help travellers make more informed decisions without taking away the joy of travel, why measuring emissions is only the beginning, and how sustainability also includes biodiversity, local communities, and economic impact. The conversation also examines the growing challenges of greenwashing and greenhushing, and why credible, evidence-based communication will become increasingly important as regulation evolves.Why listen?Discover why transparency and verified sustainability data are becoming essential for the future of travel.Learn how hotels and accommodation providers can use sustainability measurement to improve both performance and competitiveness.Explore the challenges of greenwashing, greenhushing, and communicating sustainability with credibility.Understand why sustainable tourism is about more than carbon, including environmental, social, and economic impacts.Hear Rebecca's vision for a future where sustainability information is as visible during booking as price, reviews, and amenities.Whether you work in tourism, hospitality, sustainability, climate technology, or simply want to travel more responsibly, this conversation offers practical insights into how better information can help align traveller intentions with real-world impact. Rebecca's perspective reminds us that building a more sustainable tourism industry is not only about changing behaviour, but also about giving people the information they need to make confident choices.Originally released as an episode of The Future of Sustainability, Season 1.Keywords: sustainable travel, sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, sustainable travel technology, Sustainable Travel Tech, Rebecca Thompson, hospitality industry, hotel sustainability, accommodation sustainability, carbon footprint, climate impact, emissions measurement, carbon transparency, sustainability data, ESG, tourism innovation, greenwashing, greenhushing, environmental impact, community impact, regenerative tourism, responsible travel, climate technology, Future of Sustainability podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.