Today more than ever, the hospitality industry is facing a tough call: How to grow sustainably and thrive amidst volatile times influenced by internal and external factors?
The Merrion Hotel has become the latest donor member to join the Alliance, uniting with 20 world-leading hotel companies including Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, BWH Hotel Group and Radisson Hotels Group as the sector works towards Net Positive Hospitality. Having doubled its total number of members in the past year, the Alliance now represents over 45,000 hotels worldwide. Along with the Alliance’s network of donor members, The Merrion will now be part of a collective acceleration towards a more sustainable and regenerative industry, that gives back more than it takes.
Risks affecting the hospitality industry are not only related to inflation, war, and geopolitics. Science has proven that climate-related risks and biodiversity loss are a threat to the fabric of society. The convergence of global systemic risks has a name: 'global polycrisis'[1]. The hospitality industry operates in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. Thus, it is challenging for hotel owners, operators, and leadership teams to adapt to the constantly changing circumstances.
In times of uncertainty, many businesses focus on their internal operations to survive. However, the climate and biodiversity crisis as well as the 'perfect storm' cannot be tackled in isolation, ignoring neighbours, other stakeholders, and the environment we are part of. “Everything that we achieve collectively at The Long Run is about protecting ecosystems, restoring, and regenerating landscapes, and connecting habitats. This is more important than ever in the current climate — there are increasing pressures on resources and so land use and management is critical to protect wildlife, ecosystems, and communities.” (Michael Dyer, the MD of Borana Conservancy, Kenya).
The more crises we experience the more important it is to be resilient as a business or destination. And the best way to be resilient is to be sustainable ecologically, socially and economically. Ecological sustainability means energy independence and maintenance of the very assets that tourism relies on.
We are in the middle of various interrelated crises that affect tourism, but most people tend to forget that tourism has been intregal in causing these very crises. Tourism is ten percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Oil and gas have been sourced from the worst places, cheap beating responsible.
One of EarthCheck's favourite sayings is you can't manage what you don't measure. Investing in a system that enables understanding of pressure points and consequently overspend, drives performance and value. Data-driven decision-making turns tactical implementations into savings that are good for business and good for the planet.
One of EarthCheck's favourite sayings is you can't manage what you don't measure. Investing in a system that enables understanding of pressure points and consequently overspend, drives performance and value. Data-driven decision-making turns tactical implementations into savings that are good for busienss and good for the planet.
The Business Travel Association (BTA) has released its second report in its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) transparency series focusing on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and the jet zero pathway.
The Fondation des femmes, a leading foundation in France for the protection of women’s rights and combatting violence against women, and Accor have announced the launch of a platform dedicated to “Emergency Shelter”. This initiative is aimed at providing accommodation and safety within Accor hotels for women and children who are victims of abuse. Financed by Accor, this platform helps ensure that emergency accommodation is provided quicker and more securely.
“Pro Tomorrow” marks the start of yet another sustainability initiative in all Maritim Hotels throughout Germany: Guests staying several days at a Maritim Hotel can decide, on a day by day basis, whether they want their room cleaned or not, thereby promoting regional environmental and social projects.
Málaga is the main coastal city in Andalusia with tourism as one of the most important pillars of its economy. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the city welcomed a total of 1.4 million overnight visitors, making it the fourth most visited destination in Spain. To strengthen the city’s ability to guide the sector towards greater sustainability, the creation of a Sustainable Tourism Observatory was agreed and linked to the tourism strategy of Malaga for 2021-24. The observatory will provide regular data and timely analysis across economic, environmental and social areas for evidence-based decision making and to ensure that tourism in Málaga is developing in a sustainable and responsible manner.
Personal Carbon Allowances I am fundamentally against these proposals for a number of reasons It keeps making the Climate Crisis an individual problem and lets the 100 companies worldwide who are responsible for 71% of all emissions off the hook – blame the individual, make us all feel guilty.
Whilst on the surface the concept has merits – it assigns personal responsibility to impact and forces individuals to shift behaviour based on their actions – but in reality, who would manage, ensure compliance and cover the costs associated with such a significant program?
It is becoming more and more difficult to reach the goal of the Paris Agreement and keep global warming well below 2 degree C. It is therefore understandable that PAC is back on the table. In my vision of sustainability, developed with George Curiel back in 2012 and entrusted to the 'Three Levels of Sustainability' book recently published in a second edition, we argue that responsibility should be taken not only at the level of societies and organisations, but also at the individual level.
LGH Hotels Management Limited have registered to join the Room to Reward scheme, with participating hotels located all over the country.
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, today announces a new sponsorship and partnership with UK Black Pride, Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern-descent.
The Spanish energy provider Iberdrola and RIU Hotels & Resorts have signed a long-term contract for the former to supply 100% green energy to the hotel chain’s establishments and head offices in Spain, which consume a total of around 70 gigawatt hours per year.
Earlier this week, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel chains, which operates almost 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, officially launches its new sustainability plan - Better Future.
The finalists of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) have been announced after a jury of C-level industry decision-makers reviewed 17 innovative concepts submitted by the world’s leading hospitality schools. The winner of this year’s challenge will present their innovative sustainability project at the flagship industry forum FHS in Dubai, from September 19-21, 2022.
The failure of circularity so far has a lot to do with the perceived bennefits for companies, and the hospitality industry is no different. The purpose of circularity is not clear for managers if it is not connected to key performance indicators at corporate level.
Circularity as a concept faces restraints in hospitality companies. One explanation could be that hospitality managers hardly ever control the entire product or resource cycle from cradle to grave/ cradle. That being said, efforts for 1) improved recycling, 2) waste reduction and 3) utilization of used and recycling materials and resources has become a reality in most companies.
Embedding circular economy principles into hospitality is not a myth, but a necessary ambition. It is crucial that the industry transitions away from a linear and extractive business model to a circular model with regenerative environmental impacts.
Zeal Hotels has submitted plans to East Devon District Council to develop a sustainable hotel at Exeter Science Park under its own brand.
Aurora Foxes, a specialist hospitality training college for young adults with learning disabilities, has launched the Flying Fox food truck on the Minehead Promenade outside the Foxes Hotel.
For greater context, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was originally signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, committing a dedication to promoting sustainable development and recognizing humanity's reliance on biological diversity. The UN Biodiversity Conference serves to address the CBD and the main objective of the conference now is to adopt the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The first session of the 2020 UN Biodiversity Conference took place in October 2021 and the second session will resume at the end of this month (April 2022). There is increasing global momentum organizing around a rallying cry to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, a rapidly approaching deadline.