Seattle Tourism Going Green? The Eco Push Drawing New Luxury Hotels

Seattle is sharpening its eco credentials with upgrades tied to tourism, including new luxury hotels that arrived in spring 2025. The city was named one of 11 global role models by the UN Environment Programme in 2023 for restoring nature, and local efforts have planted more than 4 million plants and 340,000 trees. A 20-acre Waterfront Park opened in September 2025, replacing an elevated highway and adding 1,000 trees and 150,000 plants to improve stormwater filtration for salmon. Cruise terminals are also modernizing: shore power cuts dock diesel emissions by 80%, and by the start of the 2027 cruise season, the Port of Seattle will require every ship starting and ending its voyage in the city to plug in.