Looking ahead to 2026, the hospitality industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, facing mounting pressure to address its environmental and social responsibilities more transparently and effectively. The first priority should be the establishment of comprehensive data platform in collaboration with industry membership organizations. These platforms must not only aggregate sustainability KPIs and attributes for internal benchmarking and B2B purposes but also translate this data into educational content for end consumers, fostering wider public engagement and understanding.

Once these platforms are operational, there is an opportunity to integrate sustainability metrics with established industry KPIs such as Revenue Generation Index (RGI), Average Daily Rate (ADR), and Revenue per Available Room (REVPAR). Linking these will allow hoteliers to directly assess how sustainability efforts influence operational and financial performance, ultimately driving better benchmarking and industry-wide improvements. This, in turn, will stimulate positive change across People, Community, and Planet dimensions.

Digitalization is fundamental to this evolution. Leveraging big data and smart analytics can deliver actionable insights, highlighting operational gaps and identifying localized solutions. In practice, this already manifests in areas like food waste management, where AI-driven systems not only measure wastage but also advise kitchen teams on quick wins and improved practices. By distributing insights across teams, the reliance on individual expertise is reduced, promoting collective learning and operational efficiency.

The foundation for verifiable data collection should be the Universal KPIs for hospitality, jointly established by the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and UN Tourism. While the initial focus has been on environmental KPIs, the roadmap for 2026 includes the introduction of social KPIs and alignment with the GBTA Sustainable Procurement standards. Moreover, enhanced performance in sustainability verification and certification will be critical to demonstrating genuine progress.

However, the ultimate goal must be to shift from a sustainability-focused mindset to one centered on regenerative hospitality—aiming to generate a net positive impact. This involves not only mitigating harm but actively contributing to biodiversity, animal welfare, human and labor rights, business ethics, climate action, and climate mitigation. By prioritizing these areas and adopting a holistic, regenerative approach, the hospitality sector can position itself as a transformative force, leading by example in the global journey towards a more sustainable and equitable future.