Sustainix Event at Zoku Amsterdam: Engaging Guests in a Sustainable Hospitality Experience

How to Engage Guests in a Sustainable Hospitality Experience

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Highlights from the Zoku x Sustainix Event | May 8, 2025

The hospitality industry stands at a critical intersection of environmental responsibility and guest experience. At our recent event hosted by Zoku and Sustainix, we explored one pressing question:
How can we actively engage guests in a more sustainable way of traveling?

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Why This Matters

With 1.4 billion international travelers annually, hospitality has enormous potential to nudge behaviors toward sustainability. Yet, most efforts still focus on behind-the-scenes improvements—from eco-certifications to ESG reports—while guest engagement remains underutilized.

But here’s the shift: 73% of guests prefer eco-friendlier stays, and 67% feel inspired to live more sustainably after witnessing sustainable practices while traveling. The opportunity is not just ethical—it’s business-smart.

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Three Ways to Engage Guests Sustainably

We explored actionable strategies to move from passive information to immersive experiences:

1. Inform

🕒 Example: Wakuli Coffee’s “Farmer Pay Clock”

• A live in-store clock shows how much extra is paid to coffee farmers.
• Takeaway: Make sustainability visible at the point of decision.

2. Enable

💧 Example: Luxury hotel replaces plastic bottles with filtered stations

• Result: 40,000 PET bottles avoided per year, <3% guest complaints.
• Payback: 2 years, €12k annual savings.
• Takeaway: Sustainable choices should be seamless and attractive.

3. Reward

🌱 Example: Tokyu’s “Green Coin” Program

• Guests receive coins for skipping disposables, which are converted into tree-planting funds.
• Impact: 2.2 million coins donated.
• Takeaway: Behavior reinforcement turns actions into habits.

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From Sustainability to Regeneration

Our second session led by Yasemin Oruc of Anicha Consultancy introduced a powerful evolution in mindset:

“Sustainability is no longer enough. Regenerative hospitality seeks to leave a net-positive impact—socially, ecologically, and economically.”

This approach focuses on:

• Systems thinking
• Co-creation with local communities
• Biophilic design and guest transformation

It’s about creating experiences that restore, reconnect, and inspire—where guests, teams, and ecosystems flourish together.

Panel Recap: Diverse Voices on Guest Engagement & Sustainability

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The panel featured an inspiring mix of voices from across the hospitality and sustainability spectrum:
Hans Meyer (Co-founder Zoku)

Amber Westerborg (Director of Sustainability, The Social Hub)

Danice van Velzen (Sustainability Project Manager, Conscious Hotels)

Gavin McGee Fraser (Head of Sustainability, Sircle Collection)

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Bringing together backgrounds in data, architecture, consulting, and business, the panelists dove into two critical questions:

1. Is environmental sustainability harder to communicate than social responsibility?
2. Which guest engagement strategies succeed, and which fall flat?

Each speaker shared personal insights and real-world experiences.
💡 Hans Meyer recounted the origin of Zoku, shaped by his travels through the Global South and co-created with feedback from 290 people—a powerful reminder that customer input is essential to developing meaningful hospitality concepts.

Despite their different perspectives, the panelists were united by a shared commitment to driving impactful, guest-centered sustainability efforts.

The evening closed with a strong sense of collaboration, creativity, and community, leaving everyone energized to continue building a more sustainable future in hospitality.

Keep an eye on our linkedin page for the next event!

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