3 Regenerative Travel Offerings with Resort Management Software

It’s no secret that guests want to enjoy their experiences at your resort, and many guests want to do so without harming the environment — known as sustainable tourism — and intentionally select resorts that meet that threshold.

Resorts with sustainable travel programs examine the negative impact of their operations and then establish processes that negate those impacts with the goal of having a net-zero impact. 

Instead, what if the goal is to have a net-positive impact? Eco-conscious guests are increasingly selecting destinations that offer restoration of the world around us; they choose locations with regenerative travel options. 

Below, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of a trend that is sure to become a common practice and explain how resort management software can drive change in your community.

What is Regenerative Travel?

Regenerative travel moves beyond traditional eco-friendly practices such as recycling, energy efficiency, and paperless operations. It is about actively encouraging growth in areas affected by tourism.

Whereas sustainable tourism is typically focused on the environmental aspects of travel, regenerative travel looks at the entire ecosystem including effects on the community and culture. According to Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation, "When tourism adds value to a destination, by enhancing the quality of life of residents and the health of the ecosystem, it can be considered regenerative.”

Benefits of Offering Regenerative Travel Options

When you offer regenerative travel options, you reduce damage to the environment, community, and culture AND focus on improving it. While building stronger local ties, you also provide the opportunity for your guests to participate, increasing the impact of your efforts.

Transitioning From Sustainable to Regenerative Travel

When researching what is regenerative travel, you will most likely find information about distant locations that combine a stay with complex restoration projects. Despite what this research might imply, there is no need to dive straight into an expansive program right away.

Because sustainability and regeneration are not mutually exclusive, but rather inclusive, you can: 

• Continue bringing your resort into the sustainable age
• Begin adding regenerative options
• Educate your guests about regenerative travel and offer opportunities for them to participate

3 Ways To Use Resort Management Software To Support Your Transition

Managing a resort is complex and incorporating regenerative travel into your processes can only be successfully accomplished with the right tools and resources. Here are three ways to use your resort management solution to increase sustainability and start transitioning to restorative travel. 

1. Paperless Payment Options

Resort guests expect flexibility in how they choose to interact with your staff, and flexible payment options are key. If your software solution offers integrated online secure payment options, your guests can pay for their stay and onsite purchases with contactless payments. Once the transaction is complete, they will receive an email confirmation of their payment without wasting paper on a printed receipt.

Restoring Forests Through Paperless Payments

As part of your transition goals, you can launch an initiative to plant a tree for every guest that uses paperless payments throughout their stay. For as little as $0.22 per guest who participates, you can increase forest cover.

Simply include details of your program with your confirmation emails or as an SMS text message during check-in. To take it a step further, add a link where they can optionally increase their giving impact.

2. Keyless Room Access

Some resort management software includes robust integration, and one of the most popular integrations — for guests and management alike — is keyless room access. Rather than guests becoming frustrated as they juggle their luggage or purchases while pulling out a keycard, electronic lock integrations such as with OpenKey allow guests to simply access their room with their mobile phone.

Recycling Plastics

Leveraging electronic locks eliminates the need for key cards. The first benefit is that you can also eliminate your need to purchase replacement key cards. Additionally, key cards can be recycled, although some have a metal core that must be removed. 

As you begin transitioning to regenerative travel offerings, you can recycle the key cards you have in inventory and combine that initiative with refocusing your entire recycling program to directly benefit your community. 

3. Direct Communication with a Guest Portal 

Guest portals are no longer a want-to-have for resorts. Today, guests expect a centralized portal to manage their reservations, access their payment information, and communicate with resort staff. By digitizing guest requests with the guest portal in your resort management software — if available — you streamline operations at your front desk by reducing the number of guests who drop into the desk or call for their requests.

The guest portal can also be used as a centralized communications channel for your sustainability and regenerative travel options.

Educating Guests About Regenerative Travel

Most of your guests want to be good custodians of our planet and our communities, but often need guidance. Using your guest portal, you can invite them to take part in a “Regenerative Visit” by completing one act of restoration for each day of their visit. You can add simple tasks such as:

• Go paperless
• Recycle plastics
• Save water by reusing towels

You can also add tasks more aligned with regenerative travel such as:

• Buy local
• Offset your travel carbon emissions
• Increase your reforestation impact with an additional donation

Resort Management Software To Help Guests and the Environment

Transitioning sustainable resort management to a strategy that incorporates the regenerative travel movement might seem daunting, but it starts with taking the first step. Remember, you can do just about anything with the right tools, and all-in-one resort management software is the best one in your toolkit.

Effective management is focused on guest experience and streamlined operations goals, both of which are supported by the right resort management solution. And the best solution will not only help your guests but also support your environment and community and will enable you to achieve operational excellence.

Download our ebook Operational Excellence in Hospitality to get started today.