Technology is rapidly changing the hospitality industry, but all technology must ultimately be focused on a simple aim: Enhancing the guest experience. Recent studies indicate that by 2020 customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator 一 and forward-thinking hotels are taking notice.
Findings from research that we conducted in the Netherlands suggest that guests are increasing willing to support or even push for sustainability. However, they also argue that hosts should take responsibility first. On the other side, hosts repeatedly stated that guests are generally not interested in sustainability.
I will only address part of the question, in my view, it is also important to see which actor does what, at what point in time. We can easily recognize certain stages of innovation in the process towards a more sustainable industry.
Basically, several factors always play a role. In the hotel and hospitality industry, there are always new trends and customer needs. Sustainability is increasingly becoming the focus of the industry's increasing demand. But if the hotelier or restaurateur does not recognize this and is not convinced that he should be more committed to environmental and climate protection in order to remain marketable, then the processes will not change.
Here are a couple of thoughts from my perspective: Too much opacity in the brand-ownership model. Brands make the commitments with little or no teeth at the operational/ownership level. Owners can benefit from the halo effect of corporate announcements without (full, immediate, consistent) implementation.
As a sustainability consultant to the hotel industry, there is very slow movement toward sustainable hospitality. The major hotel brands that have set goals do so for the properties they own and manage, which is perhaps 10% of the hotel inventory world-wide.
The referenced ITP scenarios are based on the clear forecast that the hotel supply will grow immensely in the coming 2 decades. Sustainability needs to be addressed from the beginning of the hotel project, even before operator selection when initial feasibility is done and/or capital investment is decided.
This May, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will once again be bringing guests and local communities together to walk, jog and stretch their way to a happy and healthy Ramadan. First launched in 2017, the #MoveThisRamadancampaign offers light and enjoyable exercise opportunities throughout the Holy Month, which are designed to encourage participation in gentle physical activity with family and friends.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced that it has fulfilled its commitment to eliminate the use of plastic straws from its UAE hotels. Plastic bottles used in meetings and events spaces have also been removed. As a result of adopting these new standards, approximately 3.5 million plastic straws and more than 2 million plastic water bottles will be removed each year from Hilton's 25 hotels in the country.
With the new year in full swing, Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence announces that it is the first Hotel in Egypt to install an electric car charging station, which is now fully-operational.
A rare olive ridley sea turtle called Barnacle today checked out of Jumeirah Al Naseem's turtle rehabilitation lagoon with more than 70 critically endangered hawksbill turtles who headed back home into the waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Tourism can be a key driver of the growth and economic diversification for the Middle East and North Africa region concluded the 2017 Ministerial Forum organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates. Yet, maximizing the power of the sector requires increased regional cooperation, prioritization of tourism in the national agendas and building resilience and sustainability (Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 April, 2017).
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are expected to welcome 195 million international tourists by 2030. Between 25 million and 50 million new jobs will be required in the region over the next decade. Over 20 Ministers and industry leaders will gather at the Ministerial Forum to discuss how tourism can play a role in the future of the MENA region.
Watch out Rainforest Cafe; there’s a new jungle in town.
The upcoming Rosemont Five Star Hotel & Residences in Dubai will feature the Middle East’s first rainforest. Designed by ZAS Architects, the hotel will house 450 hotel rooms and 280 residential suites, offering unique amenities including a manmade beach, aquarium, infinity pool and trampoline park. But those aren’t the only factors separating this hotel from the rest.
HMH is progressing well on its ECO Vision 2020 with the aim of reducing energy and water consumption at the various hotels managed by the group by 20 per cent year on year. In doing so, the pioneer among local hotel chains from the Middle East, is leading the way in sustainability programmes.
Marking a major milestone in its long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, Rotana today announced that 16 of its hotels in the United Arab Emirates, representing nearly 50% of the company's portfolio in the country, have obtained the ISO 14001 environmental management certification. ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a set of standardised requirements for environmental management systems.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by UNWTO and the Petra National Trust (PNT) with the aim to promote sustainable tourism policies in cultural tourism, to develop capacity building and knowledge sharing, and to conduct educational actions. The agreement was signed in Beijing, on the occasion of the recent First World Conference on Tourism for Development.
The case for developing more sustainable hotel industry practices is complex and subject to ongoing debate. Many hotel owners are still reluctant to embrace green initiatives, deterred by the associated increase in capital costs and what they deem an ambiguous return on investment. In Dubai the sustainability concept was initially considered impractical given the lack of supporting facilities and the belief that the high investment cost of green practices would impact bottom-line profits.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba is a 5-star contemporary resort located on the shores of the southern Red Sea in Jordan. The resort has its own private beach where guests can enjoy water sports or go diving and marvel at glorious coral reefs, teeming with spectacular marine life. There are more than 3,000 square meters of pool space at the property that features a water slide, kids' pools and Jacuzzis. Cultural and historical sites including the ancient city of Petra are situated nearby. And visitors can explore shops and venues offering the best of Jordanian traditional arts and crafts including Taybeh Village with its Nabataean pottery and the Wadi Mousa Silver Production Centre.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC today unveils its global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, 'Community Footprints', in the region, exercising the guiding principles to engage, contribute and inspire. Reaffirming its commitment Global Citizenship, Community Footprints focuses the company's CSR efforts across the Middle East and around the world on making a meaningful difference in the local communities where the company's hotels and resorts are located.
The event saw 236 runners ascending Jumeirah Emirates Towers for the annual fundraising event, with participants raising a total of AED 177,000 for MSF. This brings the total amount raised for MSF through this popular event to AED 1.083 million to date.
The event saw 236 runners ascending Jumeirah Emirates Towers for the annual fundraising event, with participants raising a total of AED 177,000 for MSF. This brings the total amount raised for MSF through this popular event to AED 1.083 million to date.
A Christmas tree which has been decked out with US$11 million U.S. (euro14.3 million) worth of gold and precious stones, stands at the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday Dec. 16, 2010. The hotel's general manager, Hans Olbertz, was quoted in local newspapers Thursday as saying the 43-foot (13-meter) faux fir has 131 ornaments that include gold and precious stones including diamonds and sapphires. The US$11 million symbol of the season has become the latest extravagance at the Emirates Palace hotel, which boasts its own marina, heliport and a vending machine that pops out small gold bars.