In conversations about sustainability, two risks are emerging.
The first is well known: greenwashing – overstating or misrepresenting environmental credentials.
The second is quieter, but increasingly common: greenhushing – choosing not to talk about genuine sustainability actions for fear of criticism, scrutiny, or not feeling “perfect enough.”
Both carry risk. And both matter for tourism operators.
The Greenwashing Trap
Greenwashing occurs when sustainability claims are vague, unsubstantiated, exaggerated or out of step with actual business practice.
This is becoming increasingly important as consumer awareness and regulatory scrutiny grow. In the European Union, new consumer protection rules are specifically targeting misleading environmental claims, including broad terms such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” where they cannot be clearly substantiated. The direction of travel is clear: businesses need to be able to back up what they say.
Visitors are more informed than ever. They look for specifics:
- What exactly are you reducing?
- How are you measuring it?
- Is there independent verification?
- Is this a one-off initiative or embedded practice?
If the answers are unclear, trust erodes.
For destinations, this becomes a reputational issue. For operators, it becomes a commercial one. Credibility, once lost, is hard to rebuild.
The Rise of Greenhushing
But the opposite response, saying nothing, is also problematic.
Many operators are already taking meaningful action: installing solar, reducing single-use plastics, improving water efficiency, supporting local producers, reducing waste and redesigning supply chains to be more resilient and responsible. These initiatives may not always feel headline-worthy, but collectively they represent genuine progress and a tangible commitment to better business practice.
The challenge is not whether these actions matter. It is whether we are confident enough to communicate them clearly and credibly.
Why Transparency Wins
Sustainable tourism is defined as balancing environmental, social and economic outcomes. That balance implies ongoing effort, not completion.
Visitors do not expect every operator to be carbon neutral tomorrow. But they do expect honesty.
Transparency builds:
- Consumer trust
- Trade confidence
- Investment credibility
- Community support
It also strengthens our destination brand. As a region, we are positioning ourselves as forward-thinking and prepared. That narrative is only as strong as the integrity behind it from #teambundaberg.
A Simple Communication Framework
If you are unsure how to communicate your sustainability efforts, consider three principles:
- Be specific … Instead of “we are eco-friendly,” describe what you have changed and why.
- Be measurable … Share numbers where possible – energy saved, waste reduced, water usage improved.
- Be honest about the journey … It is acceptable to say, “This is where we are now, and this is what we are working toward.”
Sustainability storytelling should avoid exaggeration – but it should also avoid silence.
What This Means for Our Destination
From a destination management perspective, transparency signals governance maturity. It demonstrates that we understand our impact, that we are taking action, and that we are willing to measure and improve over time.
As a destination, we are not there yet. But we are working on it. Through our Destination Management Plan, the collective tourism strategy for the region, we are seeking to put the right measures in place to guide more sustainable, responsible and resilient growth. That means embedding sustainability into how we plan, how we support industry, how we measure success, and how we make decisions about the future of the visitor economy.
This kind of steady, accountable progress builds confidence among visitors, investors, funding bodies and our own community. It shows that sustainability is not just a message we want to promote, but a practice we are actively working to strengthen across the destination.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is progress we can stand behind.
Organisations like Ecotourism Australia provide frameworks, criteria and benchmarking tools that support credible communication.
The goal is to create a destination of informed, engaged and progressively improving businesses.
Before promoting a sustainability claim, ask yourself:
- Is it specific?
Can you clearly describe what you’ve changed, introduced or improved? - Is it measurable?
Do you have data, numbers or evidence to support the claim? - Is it accurate and current?
Is this initiative ongoing, or was it a one-off action? - Is it proportionate?
Does the claim reflect your overall operations, not just one small initiative? - Can it be verified?
If asked, could you explain or demonstrate the process behind it? - Does it reflect progress, not perfection?
Are you honest about where you are on the journey?
If the answer to most of these is yes – communicate it confidently.
If not, refine the action before refining the message.
