Sustainability Opinion Articles

November 9, 2021

How to reduce food loss (and waste) from the hospitality industry?

Hospitality businesses can implement a number of responsible practices. The very first step for them is to develop ‘sustainable’ menus. The restaurants’ menus can offer a choice of different portion sizes to satisfy the requirements of different customers. They may feature fewer items in their menus to operate their business with a reduced inventory of food products to decrease storage costs, minimize waste and spoilage.

By Mark Anthony Camilleri, Associate Professor, University of Malta

Opinion Article

October 22, 2021

Hospitality Business: New Development Goals and Initiatives

Unlike the previous year, which is usually considered as a year of a pause or a loss, this 2021 became the year of taking action, tourism industry collaboration, and launching essential initiatives aimed not only at the sector recovery but also at operating responsibly and growing sustainably. Let’s take a closer look at these initiatives and new development goals.

By Bogdan Romashko, Chief Marketing Officer, HotelFriend AG

Opinion Article

October 20, 2021

Doing the right thing, for the right reasons, right now

CWT's CEO, Michelle McKinney Frymire talks about sustainability with Julian Walker, our Head of External Communications.

By Julian Walker and Michelle McKinney

Opinion Article

October 19, 2021

Why EV Charging is a Must-Have Amenity for Hotel Guests and Employees

Electric vehicles are taking over the road. More than 1 million battery powered electric vehicles have been sold in the U.S. since 2010, but they remain underserved with only 99,325 public charging ports available at 41,145 stations across the country. Very few businesses have the capability to fill this need the way hotels can. Today, every major carmaker already offers EVs or plans to introduce them and with electric cars forecasted to surge to 10% of the United States’ new car market by 2025, there is no better opportunity than right now for hotels to have a leg up on their competition. By providing EV charging, hotels can attract more guests, appeal to desirable customers who spend more, establish their brand as a sustainability leader and improve their bottom line.

By Robert Monkman, Charge Up USA | Founder and Board Member, ChargeUp-USA, LLC

United States

Opinion Article

October 18, 2021

Will ‘Less Is More’ Become the Tourism Buzzword of 2022?

The unprecedented 18-month hiatus in the global tourism industry has been a unique opportunity for communities to assess the pros and cons of their current tourism strategy. Tourism receipts evaporated, but so too did the throngs packing the streets and disrupting the lives of locals. The big-name ‘Bucket List’ destinations were given some rare peace and quiet and, maybe (hopefully), time to consider that enough is enough.

By Gregg Rockett, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

Opinion Article

October 14, 2021

Lean 6 Sigma Tips for HORECA

Whether it is a hotel or a restaurant, small details matter a lot when it comes to dealing with client satisfaction — which has multidimensional measurements and ways of reading its interpretations. One thing is for sure: When HORECA service orchestration lacks rhythm and meticulousness, the situation gets cloudy very fast and eventually this can push your business to the brink of closure.

By Canberk Genç, Sustainability - Founder, Rural PM

Opinion Article

October 7, 2021

How Addressing ESG Can Also Save Hotels Money

Recent weather disasters, social unrest and a heightened awareness of racial bias have prompted hoteliers to double down on their commitments to become better corporate citizens and do more to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

By Rayna Katz, Writer, HotStats

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Opinion Article

September 30, 2021

3 Takeaways from Skift Global Forum 2021

Whether in person or virtual, the 2021 Skift Global Forum was marked with an all-star lineup of speakers discussing highly relevant topics, among them sustainability, technology, and customer choice.

By Deborah Pevenstein, Chief Revenue Officer, Optii

Opinion Article

September 30, 2021

Students want to learn more about sustainability: Key findings from the PIR survey

In January 2021, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) participated in the Positive Impact Rating (PIR) created by students, for students, with the rewarding objective of contributing as a lever of change for transformation and improvement in business schools around the world.

By Caroline Caillet and Chloe Reboh

Opinion Article

September 29, 2021

Our Top 5 Takeaways from the Skift Global Forum

We are 18 months into the global pandemic and the travel industry is still feeling the impacts, and will for some time. However, during the last 18 months, everyone in the industry—from small hospitality companies to big travel brands—have had the opportunity to reprioritize and think of new ways we can all bring the industry back better and come out on the other side of this pandemic stronger and more sustainable.

By Jennifer Andre, Vice President, Business Development, Expedia Group Media Solutions

Opinion Article

September 29, 2021

Constructing a Green and Sustainable Future

This week is World Green Building Week. Organized by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and led by a global network of 70 Green Building Councils, World Green Building Week seeks to promote sustainable construction for an inclusive and resilient net zero built environment. They do this by accelerating the use of healthy, sustainable construction materials and the efficient use of energy, water, and other resources, thereby improving human health, and providing solutions to address climate change for everyone, everywhere.

By Inge Huijbrechts, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer, Radisson Hotel Group

Opinion Article

September 27, 2021

What Sustainability means for the Future of your Hotel

Sustainability is becoming more widely viewed as the key to a successful business in this century, becoming the main concern for (not only) the travel sector. I’m sure this is not a new term for you, since it is driving the world’s agenda these days. Business leaders everywhere are adopting sustainable practices and aligning them with their operations. But what does sustainability really mean for your hotel? Continue reading to find out.

By Ines Barreiros, Digital Marketing Manager, GuestCentric Systems

Opinion Article

September 22, 2021

Best Circular Economy practices in hotels: the producer and consumer perspective

One definition of economics is to understand how the economic agents make their decisions to satisfy their unlimited needs under the constraint of limited resources. Even though it has been clear for many decades that resources are scarce and that some will be completely depleted in the coming years, concrete solutions to reduce or optimize consumption and production are still underexplored. For instance, even though the concept of circular economy (CE) has been around for 50 years (Ellen McArthur Foundation), it has become popular only recently.

By Florent Girardin and Luciano Lopez

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Opinion Article

September 13, 2021

Benefits and difficulties of CSR management in travel and leisure companies

The Covid-19 crisis has reinforced the strategic importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for all organizations. In particular, the pandemic has fostered awareness that firms must introduce responsible policies and processes that focus management attention on long-term sustainability over short-term profits.

By Alessandro Inversini and Giovanni Battista Derchi

Opinion Article

September 10, 2021

Pension Bienvenue: A socially-driven CSR Student Business Project

The Student Business Project (SBP) is a much appreciated and anticipated module for final year EHL Bachelor students. Its aim: to give students real-life, hands-on, practical experience of what it means to set up and run a business from every possible angle, in conjunction with the requirements of a business partner who has enlisted their help, insights and know-how.

By Beatrice Venturini, Hospitality Insights content editor, EHL

Opinion Article

September 9, 2021

Sustainability in hospitality: Putting construction issues first

Hospitality firms are increasingly keen to jump on the sustainability bandwagon. However, too often they get lost in the complexity of the subject and limit their engagement to unimaginative solutions such as towel reuse in bathrooms. Much larger challenges loom in the physical infrastructure of the hotel itself. In this short paper we outline some important sustainability challenges for hotels from a building perspective.

By Steffen Raub and Ricardo Da Silva Lima

Opinion Article

August 31, 2021

How to communicate CSR effectively on social media?

Academic literature and practical evidence suggests that both large international firms and small privately-owned businesses are investing in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR can be understood and defined as a series of activities and policies that encompass a firm’s responsibility for its impacts on society and the environment.

By Alessandro Inversini and Giovanni Battista Derchi

Opinion Article

August 17, 2021

Surprising Way to Save Energy on Your Hotel's Existing Infrastructure

Energy consumption is a big topic in building operations, especially in light of today’s challenges around the climate crisis and ever-rising energy costs. It is thus not surprising that building operators are on the lookout for ways to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings.

By Max Pagel, CTO & Co-Founder, SensorFlow Pte Ltd.

Opinion Article

August 12, 2021

Using Green Trends as a Way of Transitioning a Hotel

The green revolution is now firmly upon us. While we are seeing this play out on the global scale with healthy economic incentives for companies directly engaged in renewable energies and shifting away from fossil fuels, ultimately every organization will be compelled to do its part in achieving carbon neutrality, and that includes hotels.

By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky

Opinion Article

August 4, 2021

Wayaj, Inc.'s CEO Shares her Opinion on the Price of Hotel Sustainability: Willing-To-Stay And Willing-To-Pay?

Eco-conscious guests are probably making sustainable choices in their own lives and will be more than receptive to hotels that are actively reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier environment for their guests by making more sustainable choices. This is why it is important that hotels share more information with guests before, during and after their stay using their various marketing channels, including social media, guest room kits, TV channels etc.

By Nelly Gedeon, Founder and CEO, Wayaj, Inc.