Rethinking Impact and Sustainable Frameworks That Scale

The Decision Brief Ho Ren Yung, Deputy CEO, Banyan Group Moderated by Sarah Kopit, Skift THE VERDICT Most hospitality companies have sustainability commitments. Most of them sit in reports. Ho said Banyan avoids the word sustainability because “people’s eyes gloss over a little bit” and uses “contribution” instead, measuring what a property uniquely brings to a place, its community, and its ecology. She said “travelers want participation and purpose” and that “their emotional bond to that matters more than their age.” For any travel company treating sustainability as a compliance exercise, Ho’s argument is that it is part of product itself — and travelers want to participate in and contribute to it. PATHS FORWARD Measure contribution, not just reduction. Ho said the industry needs to “think about how we contribute, and measure that” alongside reducing waste, energy, and water impact. She said Banyan thinks about nature as part of capital expenditure — it’s the ecology around a property, not just the building. Travel companies that only measure what they take away are missing half the equation, which is a big part of what guests actually experience. Design for culture and kinship. Travel brands that segment their products by age cohort may be organizing around the wrong variable. Ho said “where you come from, your culture, matters more than your age” in determining experience and expectations. She described kinship travel — multi-generational families traveling together — as a defining pattern in Asia, with families now wanting facilitated wellness experiences together. Grow through value-aligned partnerships. Ho described Banyan’s model as “asset right” and said growing “through just contracts in a place is not the way that we’re going to grow.” The Newmark acquisition in South Africa added 26 properties, chosen for their deep local roots, ranging from heritage hotels to private game reserves. The lesson is to scale through alignment as a means to building brand value. WHAT TO WATCH Ho called nature-based experiences “the next luxury” and said they are “rare experiences that you just cannot replicate.” Whether luxury travelers will pay premium rates for ecological participation alongside traditional amenities is the test. Ho said Banyan’s marketing strategy is to earn attention through a commitment to place, rather than competing for visibility across every platform. Whether earning authority scales for a brand Banyan’s size, or if it only works for brands with an established following, is an open question as discovery moves to AI. Access all the Skift Takeaways from this event, as well as full session videos, presentation documents, and more editorial coverage at our Skift Global Forum attendees hub.