The term "sustainability" has continued to evolve and is a crucial factor in the hospitality experience. Starting, of course, with the guest, who's environmental concerns are typically part of all of their buying decisions; this is a massive growing segment of opportunity for environmentally conscious travelers.
Cushman & Wakefield's Hotel Investor Compass survey canvasses the views of 60 major investors active across the region, who collectively invested €18 billion between 2019 and 2023 in hotels and have an average fund size of €233 million available for hotel investment in 2024.
The hospitality industry accounts for about 1% of carbon emissions across the globe. With rapid growth in the industry, this adverse impact will only grow without sustainable intervention. Many hotels are now looking toward a different future, one that prioritizes green initiatives. Though shifting business practices can require a large investment, sustainability can potentially be a profitable solution that offers a notable ROI. We’ll review the benefits and challenges of hotel sustainability, along with some key ways hotels can make this change.
The hospitality industry has a significant impact on the environment, from extensive water and energy usage to waste production. However, the growing awareness of environmental issues has led many consumers to prefer businesses that commit to sustainable practices. This shift presents a golden opportunity for hotels to appeal to eco-conscious guests by integrating eco-friendly practices into their operations. There are many ways your hotel can become a leader in sustainability and climate-friendly practices. This article will show you ways you can implement some good practices that not only will be good for the earth, but great for bringing in more guests.
"Where are you from?" A seemingly simple question that I constantly grapple with. Does it refer to my place of birth, my current residence, or the roots of my culture? These days, I often say: "I was born in London, my heart is Brazilian, and I live in Amsterdam." Yet, simplifying it to just "Amsterdam" frequently prompts an odd look and a follow-up question: "Where are you from originally?" – which gets me struggling again...
Smart hospitality companies today are prioritizing sustainability, leaning in on optimizing resources and eliminating waste to building a better future. A sustainable hotel takes care of the planet by consuming fewer resources and avoiding toxic waste.
I've been teaching sustainable tourism and sustainable hotel operations at our local college for the past three years. The students are highly engaged, as the younger generation fully aligns with sustainable initiatives and business practices, ensuring they live a sustainable lifestyle. When I teach these classes, there is a relevance to each lecture, and there is a high level of engagement from the students. This is a topic that is at the top of everyone's mind. They understand the impact that they have on the world, and they want to strive to make it a better place in which to learn, work, and live.
As the European Union gets set to introduce new regulatory frameworks governing environmental, social governance (ESG) and sustainability reporting, many hotels operating in the region face a similar problem: the efficient management and availability of trustworthy data about their environmental footprint that they can easily share with stakeholders in a standardized format.
While World Wildlife Day – which took place at the beginning of this month – should be a day to celebrate our rich and thriving ecosystems across the world, the current state of biodiversity makes for a more sombre occasion. Wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970, and up to one million species are facing extinction due to human activity.
The hospitality industry is facing growing pressure to address its environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. However, while sustainability is often viewed as an opportunity for businesses to improve their reputation and attract environmentally conscious customers, the potential risk of climate change and non-compliance with the growing sustainability agenda is not yet seen as critical.
Did you know that 39% of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet come from buildings? And over half of the materials that go into landfills in the U.S. come from construction? These are just a few of the insights shared by Jon Buerge, Chief Development Officer at Urban Villages, on The NINE dot ARTS Podcast. And Jon isn’t the only leader I’ve spoken with who is increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of real estate development.
In an era where environmental consciousness intersects with the evolving preferences of travelers, the hospitality industry stands at a pivotal juncture. The traditional markers of luxury—laden with an abundance of gadgets, amenities, and conveniences—are being reevaluated through the lens of sustainability and essentialism. This shift towards minimalism [sometimes referred to as doing a Marie Kondo] is not just a trend but a response to a deeper understanding of luxury, one that prioritizes experiences and values over material excess.
In 2020 the Sustainability Hotel Alliance found the hospitality sector to be responsible for 1% of global carbon emissions, of which hotels account for around 21%.
The ways in which businesses get their products and services to customers continue to rapidly evolve. An effective distribution strategy is critical for any business looking to get its products or services to customers efficiently. With 91% of companies reporting their distribution strategy as a key factor impacting overall performance, defining the right strategy for your business has never been more important. An effective strategy considers factors like customer demographics, buying journeys, and emerging booking platforms.
In an era marked by digital transformation and escalating demands for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR), the hospitality industry faces a pivotal opportunity to redefine its operational and strategic frameworks. This thought leadership paper articulates a comprehensive vision for the integration of advanced technologies—including network upgrades, system integration, intelligent technologies, electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous vehicles (AVs), and the transition to cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) computing—to bolster Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and CSR objectives. It offers a strategic blueprint for leveraging these technologies to steer the industry toward unparalleled sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility.
Sustainability is the future for hotels, full stop. However profit-conscious or skeptical of international policies you may be, it’s becoming exceedingly difficult to fight against the flow of the river that is action against human-born climate change. What we argue, though, is that going forward profitability and sustainability are the same thing.
You might already be acquainted with the eco-score, a food label inspired by the nutri-score concept, designed to assist consumers in making environmentally conscious choices. In a similar vein, the Wine Sustainability Index gives consumers a tool to understand the environmental impact of the wines they buy. In the context of wine, some labels already exist, but their scope is limited, and they are difficult to understand and compare.
Spread across a sprawling 45-acre ocean-facing campus with 401 rooms and suites, the five-diamond, AAA Fairmont Mayakoba has long been on our bucket list of resorts worth visiting. Just outside of Playa del Carmen in the heart of the remarkably popular sun destination that is the Mayan Riviera (especially for Canadian snowbirds like the two of us), the Fairmont Mayakoba property intrigued us because of its diverse array of amenities, its sustainable luxury approach within the broader Mexican hospitality industry and its core focus on authentic wellness experiences.
Despite some lingering concerns around the broader economy and geo-political instability, we can confidently say that travel has fully recovered in 2023.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are increasingly prominent in the decision-making processes of investors, consumers, and employees. With societal and environmental issues at the top of the global agenda, the ESG movement has surged in popularity and more people than ever before are considering the wider implications of their choices.