Ibis Styles Ulaanbaatar Polaris has become Mongolia’s first hotel to receive Green Globe certification, an internationally recognised standard for sustainable tourism.

• Part of Accor, the hotel opened in 2017 as the group’s first property in Mongolia. Its certification follows an independent audit assessing more than 400 indicators across 44 sustainability categories, including waste management and resource efficiency.

The certification also makes the hotel visible to a growing group of travellers. Google, Booking.com and Expedia now let users filter for independently certified hotels. Until now, a traveller running that search for Mongolia would have found nothing.

What Makes the Hotel Sustainable?

Developed in collaboration with Italian construction company Termigas, the hotel incorporates energy and water efficient design features aimed at reducing resource consumption and its environmental footprint. These measures are estimated to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 541 tonnes.

Advancing Sustainable Tourism

Mongolia welcomed a record 856,636 foreign visitors by October 2026, according to the Mongolia Tourism Organization, already surpassing its 2025 total. As numbers grow, so does pressure on a destination known for its natural landscapes to show it is growing responsibly.

Green Globe certification gives hotels independently audited proof of their sustainability practices. That matters most in Ulaanbaatar’s business travel market, where guests from the mining, diplomatic and development sectors often work for organisations with sustainability requirements. Around 2/3 of corporate travel managers say they prioritise hotels with verified credentials.

• It also matters for costs. Revenue at Mongolia’s 3 star and above hotels rose from ₮95.3 billion in 2022 to ₮143.7 billion in 2024, but higher operating costs have held the segment back. Energy and water efficiency measures typically cut hotel operating costs by 10% to 15%, a meaningful saving in a country with long, severe winters.

Mongolia has nearly 500 hotels and more than 900 tourist camps, yet only one holds Green Globe certification. As sustainability becomes a more important factor in global tourism, independently verified environmental standards could give Mongolian hotels a competitive edge. For a destination built around its natural landscapes, sustainable tourism is not just an environmental responsibility but also an opportunity to stand out in the global market.

Source: Ibis Styles Ulaanbaatar Polaris