Hosted by Jabir Ahmad · TourismShift Conversations
TourismShift Conversations shares practical knowledge, professional experience, and thoughtful perspectives from people helping shape tourism around the world.
In this conversation, Meredith Marin — co-founder and executive director of Vegan Hospitality — reflects on how a move to Aruba, a background in social work, and a plant-forward guest experience became an industry-facing certification practice now working with properties across more than 30 countries.
There are no right or wrong answers in these interviews. What follows are Meredith’s own experiences and reflections, prepared in TourismShift’s editorial style for launch audiences.
Please introduce yourself and briefly share your journey into tourism and hospitality.
I grew up in a family of butchers, and was vegetarian for years before anything about hospitality was on my radar. It was moving to Aruba that changed the trajectory of both my own life and the hospitality industry on the island. That shift is what eventually led me to co-found Vegan Hospitality with Hayley Cooper: turning what started as a personal change into an industry-facing certification and consulting practice, now working with properties across more than 30 countries.
Looking back on your career, what experience has shaped your professional perspective the most?
Before entering hospitality nearly ten years ago, my background was in social work and behavioral psychology and that has shaped my perspective the most. Mindfulness and relationship building is embedded into everything I do, from approaching hospitality leaders for initial conversations, to training the F&B teams.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing tourism today?
The biggest challenge is that sustainability and inclusive dining are still treated as niche accommodations rather than commercial fundamentals. Too many properties see plant-forward menus, animal welfare commitments, or climate-conscious sourcing as a marketing add-on instead of a core part of guest experience and cost management. Until the industry moves from “special request” thinking to embedding these practices into standard operations, it will keep leaving both guest satisfaction and margin on the table.
Where do you see the greatest opportunity for tourism over the next decade?
The greatest opportunity is in food and beverage. Plant-forward dining improves guest experience, cost control, and climate impact, and properties that get ahead of it now, through proper staff training and credible certification, will have a competitive edge as more travelers actively choose where they stay based on what is on the menu.
If you could change one thing about the tourism industry, what would it be?
I’d make it stop exploiting animals for entertainment or otherwise.
What advice would you give to the next generation of tourism and hospitality professionals?
Passion opens the door, but a clear ROI story gets you in the room. Keep track of your work and your results from day 1.
You often say that sustainability should also make business sense. How can hotels turn sustainability into a competitive advantage rather than simply a responsibility?
Sustainability becomes a competitive advantage when hotels stop treating it as a compliance checkbox and start treating it as a product decision. Plant-forward menu options typically cost less to produce and appeal to a growing share of travelers, not just guests who are vegan. When hotels invest in training their F&B and kitchen teams properly, rather than adding a single token dish, the difference shows up in both reviews and margins. That is the shift from responsibility to strategy.
Your concept of the “Veto Vote” has changed how many people think about guest behaviour. What do you wish more hospitality leaders understood about today’s travellers?
The Veto Vote is simple: when a group is deciding where to dine or stay, the vegan in the group effectively decides for everyone. If a property can’t accommodate them well, the whole group goes elsewhere. What I wish more hospitality leaders understood is that this isn’t a one-off scenario anymore. With the quality of plant-based options available today, vegan guests are no longer willing to settle and properties without a decent offering are losing group business they never even realize they lost.
If you could influence one global change in hospitality over the next ten years, what would it be and why?
I would like to see credible, third-party certification of vegan-friendly claims become as standard in hospitality as safety or quality certifications already are. Right now it is too easy for a property to call itself “vegan-friendly” with no verification behind it. The Vegan Hospitality Certification for hotels gives travelers something they can trust, and gives properties who are truly treating vegan guests well in quality of offering a way to stand out from those that are just doing the marketing.
If you could describe the future of tourism in one sentence, what would it be?
The future of tourism is hospitality that no longer treats sustainability and inclusivity as favors to guests, but as the standard every property is expected to meet.
Quick Insights
A destination that has inspired you the most: Aruba.
One hospitality leader you admire: Chip Conley.
A book every tourism professional should read: Unreasonable Hospitality.
One hospitality trend you’re watching closely: third-party certification of sustainability claims.
One misconception about sustainability you’d like to change: that sustainable menus cost more and appeal only to a niche of guests.
One word that describes the future of tourism: Accountable.