When I first arrived in Kep, Cambodia, in 2003, it felt like a town lost in time. Once known as the “Côte d’Azur of Cambodia,” Kep had been a glamorous seaside escape filled with beautiful villas and vibrant life. But after years of war and hardship, the beaches were deserted, the roads crumbling, and the elegant homes reduced to ruins. What remained was only a faded memory of a golden era.
Young people with disabilities wanting to pursue a career in hospitality will have far greater opportunities following a pioneering partnership between some of Australia’s leading hotel, educational and social enterprise organisations.
“Facing sustainability deprioritization?” I think the concern is justified since a large section of the hospitality sector has traditionally operated on a ‘compliance-first’ approach when it comes down to sustainability commitments.
The delay to the CSRD may offer temporary regulatory breathing space, but it highlights a deeper truth: sustainability in hospitality and tourism must not depend solely on government mandates. If our industry remains reactive, driven only by compliance, we risk falling environmentally, socially, and economically behind.
Indeed, there is a real risk that goals driven by political ambition, political agenda in the best sense of the word, may be deprioritised. I recently wrote a piece titled "Where Do We Stand Now?" to better understand the current state of play.
Share price and value are correlated to current and expected future profits, which can depend on decisions from governments with short term priorities who legislate for GDP growth as a solution to most of their problems. We should be pushing for a lasting global commitment to change the collective vision of success, and to accept that success shouldn't be measured in purely economic terms.
What do KPIs, certificates, and ESG ratings have in common? They're all tools we use to measure impact and performance. But can one metric, or even one system, capture everything at once? Probably not. As we navigate ESG reporting, the challenge isn't just what to measure, but how much, how specifically, and how meaningfully.
As the world marks World Refugee Day tomorrow (on 20 June), Accor and Community Corporate are proud to announce a growing partnership dedicated to building more inclusive and human-centred workplaces across Australia. Together, the organisations are transforming lives through employer-led pathways that welcome, support and elevate refugee and migrant talent.
As The Oberoi Group enters a new phase of growth, marked by exciting developments and a strong pipeline of hotel openings, it reaffirms its commitment to building a future anchored in sustainability. Elements by Oberoi, the Group’s holistic environmental and social responsibility framework, reflects a philosophy that has quietly shaped its ethos for decades and now takes centre stage as the company scales new heights.
Airbnb, in coordination with Airbnb.org and several local not-for-profit organizations, has announced a proactive disaster preparedness initiative to provide emergency housing across all 47 prefectures in the event of major natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
Marriott India proudly achieved its ambitious goal for World Environment Day 2025, a commitment to plant 100,000 trees across its extensive portfolio of over 150 hotels nationwide. This significant undertaking marked a powerful escalation of Marriott India's dedication to sustainability and ecological restoration, building upon the success of its previous environmental initiatives.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa has launched the Bodu Huraa Tree Planting Project, a community-driven sustainability initiative designed to offset Scope 3 carbon emissions while deepening the Resort’s long-standing partnership with its neighbouring island, Bodu Huraa. The initiative aligns with the global Four Seasons For Good framework, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to environmental stewardship and local empowerment.
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s leading hospitality company, continues to drive impactful change in waste management through Paathya, its ESG+ framework, in collaboration with United Way Mumbai.
A landmark two-month camera-trap survey has revealed that the endangered dhole (Asiatic wild dog) still roams, and that a breeding herd of Asian elephants now finds safe haven, inside the 18,000-hectare forest concession that Minor Hotels has leased and protected since 2014 in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains.
A new hospitality industry sustainability scorecard released by Shanghai-based food consultancy Lever China highlights eleven leading hotel groups in China receiving the highest possible rating for their policy commitments on plant-based foods.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) has renewed its partnership with Community Chest (ComChest) with a three-year commitment to donate S$1 million (US$762,514) to support vulnerable communities in Singapore.
The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, continues to advance its sustainability journey by accelerating the use of renewable energy across its portfolio. Under its ESG+ framework, Paathya, IHCL marked a significant milestone in FY 2024-25 with 51 hotels drawing power from clean energy sources including 13 operating on 100% renewable energy, through a mix of on-site installations, off-site sourcing, and strategic power purchase agreements.
In my experience, most of the independent SME accommodation owners with whom I have worked start on their sustainability journey with positivity and engagement, yet few continue to maintain both over time. The problem seems to lie in the underestimation of the time and commitment required to overhaul the operational processes in every department, a procedure essential to achieving continuous sustainability outcomes over time. Despite making business owners aware that their sustainability journey will require fundamental changes from the outset, it seems they do not fully grasp what this actually means until we move forwards. Then as we do, and awareness sets in, so does what I can only describe as reticence, or is it really fear?
What a great topic, indeed 'failures' are great learning opportunities for the organisation itself as well as others when shared publicly. A mindset of continouus improvement, that is for example inherent to ISO certifications, would enable companies to shift the 'failure' vs 'success' narrative and culture.
Many SME accommodation owners begin their sustainability journey with enthusiasm but often fail to sustain long-term change. A key barrier is underestimating the time and commitment needed to overhaul operational processes across departments.
To make progress on sustainability, I believe we need to build a culture that values curiosity over criticism, encouraging people to explore what works, what doesn’t, and why. That means treating new ideas as experiments, not tests to pass or fail.
Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia, is proud to announce DV Collective as its inaugural Australian charity partner under the Group’s reimagined Accor Community Fund with a renewed focus on connecting communities with heartfelt care.
As India rapidly matures in global and economic influence, so does the buying power of its vast and adventurous travelling population. According to new research by MMGY Travel Intelligence, passport-carrying adults in India intend to spend an average of $4,755 on leisure trips in the next 12 months, pinpointing a 14% increase in spending over the past year. This and other findings are at the core of Portrait of Indian International Travellers™ – which unveils key new insights into the travel behaviors, motivations and preferences of Indian travellers exploring abroad.
Sharing a common purpose of empowering people through skilling, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s leading hospitality company, and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) have joined forces with Head Held High Foundation (HHHF) to announce a program aimed at empowering youth in identified communities through capacity development and skill-building.
Further to the recent announcement, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Goa for the country’s largest hospitality skilling centre in Goa to boost employment opportunities for youth in the state. This signing ceremony was held in the presence of Honourable Chief Minister of Goa -Shri Pramod Sawant and Mr. Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, Secretary, Education and Skills Development and Mr. S S Gaonkar, Director of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Goa.