This article is a contribution by Suzanne Duffour, Sustainability Consultant & CEO at Yun Consultancy. It was edited by Jeremy Tran, Co-Founder of Asia Sustainable Travel. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of AST.

Kubu restaurant. Photo by Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Across Asia, luxury hospitality is emerging as an unexpected yet prominent force in the sustainability movement.

While Western countries often rely on stringent government regulations and consumer-driven certification schemes, Asia presents a more fluid and complex context — one marked by fragmented policy, rapid development, and deeply embedded communal values.

Benchmarks like sustainable tourism certifications may carry weight in Europe, particularly in the Nordics. But in Asia, where regulatory oversight is inconsistent, such benchmarks can sometimes result in surface-level compliance.

This isn’t a failure; it’s an opportunity.

In the absence of top-down mandates, many sustainability efforts here stem from a kind of innovation powered by community consensus, cultural pride, economic necessity, and a do-it-yourself ethos.

Taking Bali as a case example, instead of waiting for government direction, eco-entrepreneurs and local community stewards have taken the lead in a grassroots movement. This is not driven by compliance, but by creativity, necessity, and connection to place – and this enables deeper, more sustained impact.

Mana Earthly Paradise in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Photo by hotel.

Hospitality: A Living System Primed for Change

Luxury hospitality can uniquely be positioned as a holistic, immersive space where one eats, sleeps, lives, explores, learns about culture, plays, heals, and grows spiritually.

Unlike any other industry, this holistic experience makes hospitality one of the most powerful platforms for modeling sustainability — not just in policy, but in practice.

From sourcing local organic food to thoughtfully designing spaces, optimizing energy use,and nurturing positive interactions between guests and local environments, every detail in a luxury hotel or resort can embody sustainability in a tangible and engaging way.

In many parts of Asia, where hospitality businesses often serve as major employers and community hubs, sustainability practices can have ripple effects, from empowering local staff, supporting circular economies, and strengthening community resilience.

For example, when staff are not only trained in sustainable practices but also actively involved in decision-making and cultural exchange, the result has a deeper meaning. It brings a more authentic implementation of sustainability that respects both people and places because it comes directly from within the people and their own growth experiences.

Combining this with Asia’s cultures emphasizing collective harmony over individualism, sustainability initiatives here can draw from these values. Hospitality brands can become living laboratories for sustainability, where luxury and responsibility can complement and elevate each other rather than conflict.

Mertasari Beach Clean-Up. Photo by Mercury Hotel

The Evolution of Luxury: From Prestige to Purpose

Luxury is evolving from exclusivity and ownership to experience, access, and impact. Particularly in Asia, where heritage and innovation collide, a new generation of guests is seeking more than indulgence — they want meaning. They care about the origin, artisanship, and impact. This shift makes luxury hotels prime candidates to lead sustainability innovation.

In this context, luxury hospitality is not just a craftsmanship conservatory as conventionally known, it has the power to fuel conscious capital.

They have the resources, flexibility, and importantly, the expectation from guests to be thoughtful and forward-thinking. That means, luxury isn’t just about aesthetics or service. It’s also about storytelling — of circular systems, regenerative food practices, and indigenous wisdom.

Across Asia, many luxury hotels are responding by incorporating zero-waste kitchens into their operations and integrating local communities and their cultural identity into the guest journey. Their guest service philosophy is shifting from prestige to purpose, from material to meaningful.

Why Luxury Hotels Can Lead, and Must

Luxury brands have the financial capacity to take risks and prototype new systems, ranging from circular design systems to regenerative landscaping.

Many luxury hotels across the region are already collaborating with local artisans, architects, chefs, and farmers to reintegrate heritage knowledge into their sustainability practices.

From handwoven textiles to indigenous building techniques, what were once considered cultural remnants are now being reinterpreted and woven into forward-thinking designs.

This intersection of craft and innovation aligns perfectly with what sustainability should be — using local, low-impact materials, preserving cultural identity, and fostering skills that contribute to long-term economic resilience.

For example, Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, scoring 93% in its first year of Green Globe Certification, offers a delectable gastronomic experience at Kubu Restaurant. The restaurant turns food waste into artisanal flavor powders and invites guests into the process.

When a luxury hospitality brand implements sustainability with elegance, depth, and creativity, it redefines what is possible, it becomes the lighthouse for what is possible, giving inspiration and illuminating paths for others to follow.

The Power of Agile Innovators

While legacy groups have scale, smaller boutique hotel groups often hold the advantage of agility and community proximity. Groups like Lifestyle Retreat, which operates 7 properties across Bali and Cambodia, are quick to adapt, stay connected to their suppliers, and remain invested in local ecosystems. Their innovation stems from necessity, and often from the heart.

In contrast, many global chains continue to rely on outdated procurement systems and non-credible sustainability marketing. But regulations are changing. Under the EU Green Claim directives and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), sustainability must be measurable, transparent, and verifiable. Empty claims will unlikely pass. Meeting the compliance requires redesigning an ecosystem that is responsive to cultural contexts and environmental challenges.

European Travel Commission. Photo from Report by ETC

True business leadership rests on those using their purchasing power not just to scale operations, but to uplift local producers, rethink supply chains, and cultivate innovation and adaptability while remaining culturally relevant.

The next chapter of luxury will be written not by those who talk about change, but by those who implement it — with transparency, responsibility, and respect for the people and places they serve.

Hospitality as Policy Trailblazer

Luxury hotels can be cultural influencers. The choices they make set expectations.

When done right, they inspire not just guests but governments. Especially those in countries with high tourism activity, governments may look to these hospitality-driven sustainability benchmarks for inspiration and guidance on national sustainability standards.

The New Honesty in Hospitality

It is also time for new honesty in hospitality marketing to take over.

The era of well-polished greenwashing is over. We all know it can even put your whole business at risk. Guests are just booking experiences. They are choosing values.

Key Takeaways: Why Luxury Hospitality in Asia Can Lead to Sustainability Innovation

Asia’s collective harmony over individualism is its strength

While regulatory gaps pose challenges, strong community values and cultural depth enable unique, locally rooted sustainability innovations.

Luxury has the power to lead

High-end hotels have the resources, visibility, and consumer trust to push sustainability forward, experiment with new models, and inspire industry-wide transformation.

Craft meets innovation

By integrating heritage knowledge with modern technology, luxury hotels can preserve culture while pioneering regenerative approaches.

Ripple effects matter

Hotels do not just offer guest rooms and experiences; they can be community hubs. When holistic sustainabilityis practiced, the benefits extend to staff, suppliers, and local ecosystems.

Setting the stage for policy influence

In tourism-heavy regions, hospitality brands have the opportunity to advocate for and drive the national adoption of sustainability benchmarks and policies.