Beyond The Checklist: Embedding Sustainability Into Hotel Strategy for Lasting Impact
Let’s start with the obvious: there is a lot going on in the world today.
Let’s start with the obvious: there is a lot going on in the world today.
I don’t want to bury the lead after a click-bait-y title like that. I’m talking about a bee hotel (pictured in the featured image so that you have an idea of what they look like).
RIU Hotels & Resorts dedicated a total of €3,171,135 to social investment in 2024 as part of the first roll out of its Proudly Committed strategy. The company’s 104 actions with 88 strategic partners directly impacted 55,624 people and indirectly impacted 82,644 people. Childhood represented 71% of the investment, followed by Biodiversity (22%) and Local community (7%).
Airbnb and Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City (NHSNYC) have launched a multi-year partnership to support housing stability and expand economic opportunity for New Yorkers. The announcement comes at a time when the housing affordability crisis is among the most urgent challenges facing the city.
The Holiday Inn Express San Diego South – Chula Vista is a contemporary 3-star hotel with 88 spacious guest rooms across four floors. The property offers easy access to downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Zoo, beaches, and the Convention Center – making it a popular choice for both business and leisure travelers. Amenities include a year-round outdoor pool and hot tub, fitness center, business facilities, and free parking. Competing in one of the nation’s most demanding hospitality markets, the hotel is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and service.
On June 12, 2025, EHL and Asteria Investment Managers held its third-annual Sustainable Investing Forum on the school’s flagship campus in Lausanne. The focus of this year’s event was on shareholder engagement as a critical driver of sustainable strategies. Once again, the forum brought together academics and industry players from diverse backgrounds.
The Middle East is building the world’s boldest tourism dreams—but will rising heat rewrite the rules of ROI, resilience, and reputation? From 50 °C “death zone” summers to exploding cooling costs and stranded giga-assets, the risks are no longer theoretical.
As new data reveals food insecurity is at an unprecedented high, travellers in Australia and New Zealand can give back to those in need and help reduce food waste by staying at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts this month. For the fourth year running, IHG’s annual ‘Stay for Good’ campaign supports Australia’s leading food rescue charity, OzHarvest, and its New Zealand-based sister organisation, KiwiHarvest, throughout September.
The hospitality industry stands at a crossroads between a series of choices that will shape its future. Traditionally, sustainability efforts have centred on minimising environmental impact. However, an innovative approach is required for hotels to become agents of positive change. This extends from the improvement and restoration of destinations to the protection of their natural and social ecosystems. Regenerative Hospitality represents a fundamental shift in mindsets. Instead of simply reducing harm, forward-thinking hospitality businesses are now creating net-positive impacts, leaving places better than they found them. This isn't just environmental stewardship; it's a complete reimagining of business purpose within the interconnected living systems.
Imagine this: you run a 30-room independent hotel in Spain. You’ve invested in solar panels, eliminated single-use plastics, and source food from local suppliers. Guests praise your efforts. Yet when travellers search on Booking.com, your property doesn’t show up under “sustainable stays.” Why? Because you don’t have a third-party sustainability certification. Under new EU rules, you’re not even allowed to call yourself “eco-friendly” without one.
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.
We are proud to announce that GCSTIMES has successfully obtained the ISO 14068 Organizational Carbon Neutrality Certification, verified by SGS, officially recognizing us as a Carbon Neutral Company 2024.
In the heart of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, that question has already been answered. Ibiti Projeto stands as living proof that regenerative hospitality is not a far-off dream but a reality. Over 40 years, it has transformed once-degraded land into a thriving biodiversity refuge, while creating opportunities for local people to become entrepreneurs and stewards of their own future.My recent immersion there was a reminder that regeneration is not an abstract ideal - it’s a tangible force that can transform landscapes, economies and mindsets all at once.
We are pleased to announce a new multi-faceted sustainability partnership with Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions, and Stella Hospitality, a provider of sustainable guest amenity packaging.
Visiting a holiday park, ranging from lodge parks to caravan parks or glamping yurts, is a favoured holiday choice for the UK domestic market. Estimating the market size for UK holiday parks is complex due to overlapping categories. However, Mintel estimates the holiday centres and parks segment revenue to be valued at £3.5bn in 2024 – a 20% growth from pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, there were 4,754 holiday parks and campsites operating in the UK, accounting for 320,901 pitches, with the highest number in South West England. The sector further supports c. 230,000 full time jobs across the UK.
Two weeks on the road in Italy, from Milan to Naples, will teach you many things. For one, gelato is great at any time. But more importantly, it forces you to confront a term that’s been floating around travel discourse for years: overtourism.
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.
RIU Hotels & Resorts goes one step further in its commitment to its communities, announcing its first social collaboration in the United Kingdom together with the charity All-Child. The hotel chain will support their Impact Programme, which is designed and delivered by specialised professionals known as Link Workers. These professionals play a vital role building a trusted relationship with vulnerable children and young people, and being the link with their families, schools and the community, guaranteeing personalised and ongoing support. This initiative is part of the Impact Programme's delivered in South Westminster, London, which has also been home to the Riu Plaza London Victoria hotel since 2023.
Beyond Green, a global portfolio of some of planet Earth’s most sustainable accommodations, is pleased to announce the addition of ten new and returning member properties to its global portfolio between April 1 and June 30, 2025. This considered and strategic expansion demonstrates the brand’s continued growth, including its inaugural properties in Sweden and Mozambique.
As heatwaves intensify year after year, the tourism sector is facing profound changes in booking behaviour and increased exposure to natural risks. This is a hot topic today, as discussed by Vanguélis Panayotis, CEO of MKG Consulting and Hospitality ON, during an interview with BFM.