SHATEC Invites Singapore Hotel Industry to Accelerate Actions Towards Sustainability Goals
Leaders, innovators and value creators tackled sustainability transitions head-on at the SHATEC Hospitality Conference 2023
In support of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap jointly launched by Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) last March, SHATEC, the local training arm of SHA presented its annual Hospitality Conference (SHC) at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore on 24th March 2023 last Friday.
Singapore – In support of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap jointly launched by Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) last March, SHATEC, the local training arm of SHA presented its annual Hospitality Conference (SHC) at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore on 24th March 2023 last Friday.
Themed “Sustainability: Fight or Flight”, SHATEC brought together some of the leading minds in sustainability development for the hospitality and tourism industries, delving deeply into the topics of sustainability and resource management, as well as circular economy approaches for over 100 hoteliers, industry stakeholders and professionals in attendance.
Sustainability is no longer a buzzword in the hospitality scene, but today, it is becoming a core value driving the industry. Singapore has recently been certified as a sustainable destination based on the Global Sustainability Tourism Council (GSTC)’s Destination Criteria. With this certification, I urge hospitality organisations to press on with and step up their contributions towards sustainable tourism. Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment
To augment the goals of the SG Green Plan 2030, we took a decisive step to integrate sustainability within the conference for the hospitality industry. The conference highlighted the macro and micro issues challenging hotels and businesses today in their competitive transition to a climate-resilient future, and the power of innovation, design and technology as well as education to revolutionise hospitality operations. Mr Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Executive Officer of SHATEC
In his keynote speech on Pan Pacific Hotel Group’s circular journey, its Chief Executive Officer Mr Choe Peng Sum said, Hotels contribute not just food waste, but also heavy water and energy usage. It will be expensive to upgrade the infrastructure of 80 per-cent of hotels in Singapore, but we need to do it as responsible stewards of the environment for the hotel industry. Mr Choe further expressed to business owners and hospitality leaders, Many travellers are looking for sustainable hotels but it’s not easy for them to find green accommodations. If we plan it right, designing energy-efficient new hotels or retrofitting existing ones with green technology can be economically viable.
In one of two panel discussions held during the conference, Ms Tan Yen Nee, Director, Hospitality Division Policy & Planning Group, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) reaffirmed how they are supporting local hotel industry leadership on their fulfilment of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap, stating, STB will continue to work closely with SHA to raise sustainability standards across the industry. This includes educating the industry on best practices; supporting hotels in attaining internationally-recognised sustainability certification, such as GSTC; raising awareness of our hospitality & tourism sector’s sustainability efforts; and promoting sustainable consumption amongst visitors, to close the loop.