Do you enjoy traveling? If so, you are among the privileged 20 to 30 percent of the world’s population who can afford vacations abroad. We believe this privilege comes with the responsibility to make socially conscious, fair, and informed decisions and take appropriate actions.
We don’t want to stop you from traveling
In our opinion, travel has many advantages. It contributes to understanding and change, and it is the basis of life for many people around the world. If you are interested in this topic, please read the following articles after this blog post:
Hotels shape society—research confirms this
Hotels are among the key players in the tourism industry. Consequently, their influence on the development and sustainability of our travels is significant.
The FutureHotel study by the Fraunhofer Institute confirms that hotels are playing an increasingly important role in society due to the growing tourism sector. Not only do they shape their guests’ travel experience, but they also influence working conditions, the regional economy, and local communities. The study states that hotels can initiate social change by providing safe, healthy, and inspiring environments that open up new perspectives.
Some of our Green Pearls® partners go to great lengths to achieve this. In our article on charity hotels, for instance, we discuss Pavilions Himalayas – The Farm, a hotel founded exclusively to support the local Nepalese population—70 percent of its profits go to children’s projects. Additionally, farmers in the surrounding area have been trained in organic farming and now have a ready market for their produce.
Social projects of our Green Pearls® partners
Of course, not every sustainable hotel needs to become an NGO. And you don’t have to devote your entire life to the public good, either. However, one can always share some of their prosperity.
What could that look like in practice? We asked Green Pearls® accommodations which social projects they support. Find inspiration—or simply enjoy the fact that your stay is promoting social initiatives around the world.
Let’s start in Cambodia, a beautiful yet troubled country. Many regions are still marked by a history of war, child poverty, and, in some cases, human trafficking.
Projects in countries of the Global South: Cambodia as an Example
Social engagement is firmly anchored in the identity of the Canvas & Orchids Retreat. Host Valentin tells us that it was obvious to him:
“Nature conservation only works if the local population benefits directly.”
Many of today’s employees used to make a living from illegal logging or poaching. Now, they are trained professionals who share their knowledge of the region and the rainforest with guests.
Two of the newly completed projects:
- Clean drinking water for the school in Tatai: After the school’s water supply was contaminated with waste, the Retreat team worked with other local companies to install a collection system.
- Construction of the Koh Kong Khnong School: A dilapidated, two-room, wooden hut was replaced with a new, safe school building in cooperation with NGOs, creating a long-term impact on the community.
Here’s how you can get involved as a guest
As a guest, you can easily get involved right on site:
- During village tours on Koh Andet Island, you can meet local families and learn about their lives.
- Mangrove tours directly support the community of Koh Kapik.
- During excursions, you can plant trees or donate school supplies.
- Support local producers by purchasing handicrafts or regional specialties, for example.
As Valentin sums it up: “Every stay helps strengthen the livelihoods of the people here.”
Focus on social projects: Green Pearls® hotels situated within more affluent regions
Now, we will focus on our Green Pearls® hotel partners in wealthier regions of the world – the main topic of this article. Many of these hotels are involved in an impressive number of social projects. The following examples are just a few of the many projects they undertake—chosen because they particularly touch our hearts.
It’s striking how sustainable accommodations impact their local communities. They support the people in their immediate surroundings, create opportunities, and promote local initiatives. Support for more distant countries usually takes the form of donation projects. For instance, several of our partners are affiliated with WIR (Water Is Right), an organization dedicated to providing clean drinking water in impoverished regions.
Supporting people with disabilities and those with an increased need for assistance
Social engagement is often about participation and inclusion, particularly for those who have fewer opportunities in everyday life or on the job market. Some of our Green Pearls® accommodations are prime examples of that commitment:
The OLM Nature Escape in Sand in Taufers, South Tyrol, supports the Sägemüllerhof in Gais, a work rehabilitation project for people with mental illnesses by
- Purchasing products from the Sägemüllerhof sewing workshop
- Donation shares on select items in the hotel shop
- Guests can donate directly at the front desk or request more information
The Klosterhof — Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bayerisch Gmain — is also a customer of one of these workshops. “We continuously collaborate with the workshops at the Hohenfried facility in Bayerisch Gmain,” the hosts tell us. The products and workpieces are incorporated into everyday hotel life and truly appreciated.
ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA offers a monthly gourmet menu
The luxurious ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA came up with a wonderful idea to promote inclusion. Every month, the resort hosts a special evening of indulgence for people with disabilities or increased assistance needs. What makes this event unique is that the guests not only enjoy a gourmet menu, but also help organize the evening. They set the tables, help in the kitchen, and welcome other visitors. It’s an evening full of encounters that shows how much connection can be created when barriers come down. “This is a project that is truly close to our hearts,” says Sofia Rabanser.
Inclusion in practice at the Green City Hotel Vauban
The Green City Hotel Vauban in Freiburg takes it a step further. Ten of its 20 employees have disabilities.
The integrative concept is intentionally designed to be holistic:
- From the beginning, only regional craft businesses were commissioned for the construction
- Organizations such as Vereinigung Freiburger Sozialarbeit e.V. (Freiburg Social Work Association) and Freiburger Stadtbau GmbH (Freiburg City Construction Ltd.) stand behind the social mission
- The experienced integration company Hofgut Himmelreich from Kirchzarten provides training and further education
This hotel exemplifies what can be achieved when inclusion is considered not an add-on but the core of one’s actions.
How other Green Pearls® hotels are getting involved – sorted by theme & briefly introduced
In addition to the initiatives mentioned earlier, our Green Pearls® network is involved in many other projects. Many hotels are involved in several areas at once.
To avoid making this article too long, we have organized the projects by topic and provided concise summaries. You may find an idea here that you would like to support, whether at home or on the road.
TOPIC 1: Water & essential supplies
Clean drinking water is one of the most fundamental resources, yet it cannot be taken for granted in many regions. To actively give back, several Green Pearls® accommodations are committed to this cause. My Arbor has supported regional aid organizations for years through its “MY WATER campaign.” For this purpose, spring water from the 1,870-meter-high Plose mountain is bottled and sold for a good cause. In recent years, tens of thousands of euros have been donated to organizations such as Südtirol Hilft, the White Cross, and the Wünschewagen.
The ADLER Lodge RITTEN is setting an example as well by providing a public refill station on the hiking trail—a project that benefits hikers, locals, and guests alike while reducing the need for plastic bottles.
You can find more water projects by Green PearlsⓇ partners in the linked article.
TOPIC 2: Animal welfare
The protection of young wild animals is important to many people. That’s why Summit Lodges Pfunds supports Kitzrettung Tiroler Oberland, the Tyrolean Oberland Fawn Rescue, every year. Drones are used to track down fawns and move them to safety, away from mowing machines. Host Marco Spiss regularly participates in these missions — protecting young animals is important to him, and he actively promotes it.
The SANDcollection (SANDnature and SANDglow) has partnered with the WDC to offer a donation option for porpoise conservation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea through its booking engine. The two sustainable lifestyle hotels are located not far from the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts. With a little luck, you may be able to observe whales there in person.
Here you can find more information on the topic of animal welfare when traveling.
TOPIC 3: Promoting neighborhood assistance and local expertise
Neighborly assistance means taking responsibility for one’s immediate surroundings—where one lives and works. The Hotel Bella Vista in Zermatt, Switzerland, demonstrates this commitment by supporting the organization “Nachbar in Not” (Neighbor in Need) and local youth programs every year, while the Naturhotel Outside in Matrei, East Tyrol, strengthens regional cultural and sports clubs and enables its guests to connect with local producers.
The LA VIMEA Vegan Hotel in Naturns, South Tyrol, promotes local knowledge by regularly organizing alpine herb courses with a regional expert who shares ancient knowledge about medicinal plants and demonstrates how to make natural cosmetics.
In general, many Green Pearls® hotels rely on local guides—from hiking guides to nature educators—to showcase regional expertise and compensate them fairly.
TOPIC 4: Strengthening education, children, and families
Education is one of the most important foundations for future opportunities, and sustainable hotels can provide valuable impetus in this area. The SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA, for instance, has a long-standing project called “SchwaPa Biokids,” in which children learn about the connections between nutrition, the environment, and climate protection over the course of a school year.
The Naturresort Gerbehof supports the children’s project Sternenland and encourages its guests to donate by offering discounted rates for guests who waive room cleaning services.
The ADLER Lodge RITTEN has supported the expansion of a nearby public playground—a place that benefits locals and guests alike. Gut Sonnenhausen participates in projects run by Children e.V. and provides accommodations for charity events. Meanwhile, SANDnature and SANDglow support young people in the region through their involvement with Round Table Germany.
Auctioning for a good cause—an idea you can also implement at home
Finally, we learned about another initiative from Hotel Das Rübezahl that is as simple as it is ingenious. Once a year, the hotel staff organizes a heartwarming evening where lost items from the Rohrkopf hut and the hotel, including donated sports equipment, vouchers, and small treasures, are auctioned off in a relaxed atmosphere. The proceeds benefit the mountain rescue service.
What begins as a cheerful gathering culminates each year in an impressive donation, which the host family, the Thurms, generously adds to at the end.
You can organize something like this at home, too. A small auction among friends, at the office, in a club, or in the neighborhood would be perfect. Everyone brings something to auction, and the proceeds go to a cause you care about. This way, items that would otherwise gather dust become tangible help for others.
How much should one actually donate to social projects?
The answer is individual—but there are inspiring models. Oxford philosopher Toby Ord, founder of Giving What We Can, suggests making a “Further Pledge” to donate all income above a deliberately low standard of living because doing so can make an incomparably greater difference for others. On the other hand, author Rutger Bregman inspires many people to donate 10% of their income, a concept promoted by Giving What We Can.
How wealthy am I?
If you’re curious about how privileged you are on a global scale, you can easily find out. The online calculator “How Rich Am I?” shows you where your income stands globally — often with surprising results that change your perspective and strengthen your desire to give back.
Regardless of your approach, small amounts, creative ideas, and conscious sharing can make a big difference. This includes consciously choosing your travel destinations and accommodations.
Do you have any other ideas or examples? Write them in the comments.
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