How Hotels Are Using Menu Psychology to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

Sometimes, the smallest things can make all the difference. According to one new report, a simple swap to the way hotels present their dining menus could have a huge impact on the global environment. 

In early March, researchers from the University of Surrey published their study's findings in the journal Sustainable Tourism, demonstrating what happens when hotels redesign their menus to prioritize vegetarian offerings closer to the top. 

To determine the effects of this change, the team conducted a series of “covert field experiments” in two hotel restaurants. During these experiments, the researchers engaged 647 participants under various menu conditions. The researchers explained that “participants were exposed to either the default menu or one of three intervention menus designed to encourage vegetarian choices.” These menu changes were part of their scientific “behavioral nudges” using framing and anchoring techniques that they described as having “altered the presentation of menu options.” 

For the research, they designed a two-sided menu that highlighted vegetarian-only dishes on page one (as part of the “framing effect” to showcase these offerings first) and non-vegetarian dishes on page two.

The researchers instructed the waiters to “execute one of two interventions: in the Vegetarian Behavioral Intervention, participants received the menu side with the vegetarian-only dishes first, and in the Non-Vegetarian Behavioral Intervention, participants received the menu side with the non-vegetarian dishes first.” 

The results indicated that these nudges significantly influenced consumer behavior, leading diners to increase their vegetarian orders when they were presented first. 

“By simply restructuring how hotels present food options, they can enable guests to make more sustainable choices,” Sofie Voss, the lead author of the study and PhD researcher at the University of Surrey, said in a statement. “It’s not merely about reducing meat consumption; it’s about creating an environment where plant-based choices are the norm rather than the exception.”

While this may sound like a teeny, tiny change, it really can add up to a major difference. As the researchers noted, “Food consumption represents a substantial share of tourism’s global CO2 emissions.” Sustainable Travel International reports that tourism is responsible for approximately 8% of all global carbon emissions. About 10% of those emissions come from food and beverage. And as study after study shows, going vegetarian is the easiest way to cut carbon emissions overall, making it an easy choice for a more sustainable vacation. 

“The hospitality sector stands at a crossroads, with an opportunity to lead the charge in sustainable dining practices,” Voss said. “By reimagining menu designs and embracing behavioral nudges, hotels can significantly reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.”