In June 2024, we reached a major milestone with the eco-certification of our 1,000th hotel, bringing us closer to our ambitious goal of achieving 100% of our network eco-certified by 2026. Join us as we spotlight inspiring stories showcasing properties and their journeys towards a more sustainable model through their pursuit of eco-certifications.
A new series of online training sessions for hospitality businesses, focusing on community engagement, energy and greenhouse gases, as well as food and water management, has been developed by Booking.com in collaboration with UN Tourism. The courses have been launched on the Tourism Online Academy (TOA), a collaborative project between UN Tourism and IE University.
AHLA Foundation today announced their third annual No Room for Trafficking Summit will take place July 30, 2024, the same day as the United Nation’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainability event for the travel and hospitality sectors, will return to spark conversation and drive the green agenda this September, with an impressive line-up of key figures and industry innovators led by Peng Sum Choe, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group.Organised by the Phuket Hotels Association, the non-profit organisation of hoteliers focused on creating a bright future for Phuket, PHIST 2024 will run under the theme One on One: Sustainability from the Top, as it reveals how senior company executives can successfully build a forward-thinking corporate culture and drive positive change, not only within their own companies, but across the entire industry and beyond.
At HITEC 2024, Simone Puorto had the opportunity to interview Susan Springsteen, Co-founder and President of H2O Connected. H2O Connected, which participated in the E20X competition, is a pioneering company focusing on water management in the hospitality industry. Here are the key takeaways from their conversation.
With focus on its ambitious goal of becoming the first net zero CO2-emission hostel chain in Europe by 2025, a&o Hostels, the world’s largest hostel chain, has released the a&o Sustainability Report 2023, the second annual account documenting its efforts and progress on sustainability issues while serving as an inspiration – even a road map – for other hospitality operators to follow suit. Written with sincerity and sharply designed, the report offers comprehensive analysis of key sustainability issues and the company’s approach to them over the past year.
As the carbon footprint of the hospitality and tourism industry continues to grow, increasing attention is being paid to how employees can help mitigate the industry’s environmental impact. In a timely study with far-reaching implications for the sustainability of hospitality and tourism, Dr Lisa Gao and Professor Mimi Li of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, working with co-authors, ask how leaders can foster employees’ pro-environmental behaviours.
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is pleased to announce that it has partnered with renowned climate activist and Founder of Justice Environment Saad Amer. With expertise in environmental justice and experience as a United Nations consultant, Saad Amer joins the resort as its latest Sustainability Champion. He will spearhead a range of guest activations and educational initiatives aimed at highlighting the importance of climate action and environmental stewardship.
Urban lifestyle hotel brand CityHub has today announced it has been certified B Corporation (B Corp).
At the Organization’s headquarters in Madrid, the UN Tourism leadership welcomed the Ambassadors to Spain of 24 Member States to look ahead to the seminal year. They included His Excellency Farrukh Tursunov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan, which sponsored the Resolution for the year ahead of its adoption by 86 Member States at the UN General Assembly in February. Rosario Sánchez Grau, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, host country of UN Tourism, was also present to mark the occasion.
The hospitality industry reaches a significant milestone today with the official launch of the Nature Resort Development Alliance (NRDA). Founded by the industry for the industry, the NRDA is uniting the global nature-based hospitality sector with it's landmark launch.
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program, and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott (JWASM) Foundation are combining forces to donate $500,000 to World Central Kitchen (WCK), the non-profit organization founded by renowned chef José Andrés. The donation is expected to greatly enhance WCK's ability to provide meals in the wake of natural disasters and crises around the world, helping those in need receive the nutrition and support they require during challenging times. The donation builds on the company's and the Marriott family's longstanding support for WCK.
With a focus on driving positive change and reducing carbon emissions, KSL Resorts has partnered with Evertreen – a pioneering platform facilitating online tree planting and tracking – to plant more than 1,300 trees in Kenya, helping to restore the area’s delicate ecosystem while generating jobs for local youth.
RIU Hotels & Resorts is the first major Spanish international hotel chain to sign a global agreement with Achilles, a world-renowned expert in supply chain risk management that is specialised in ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria. This agreement represents a significant milestone in RIU's business relationship with its suppliers and reflects its commitment to the Proudly Committed sustainability strategy, as RIU’s entire supply chain must be involved for the company to make significant progress in terms of sustainability and goods and service suppliers play a key role in this regard.
Hotels are increasingly turning to technology as a powerful ally in the quest for sustainability. Today’s technology enables hotels to implement eco-friendly practices that reduce their environmental footprint and are cost-effective. By leveraging smart systems for energy management, water conservation, and waste reduction, hotels can meet the growing expectations of today’s environmentally conscious travellers while enhancing their bottom line. Integrating technology and sustainability is no longer a mere option but a necessity for hotels aiming to thrive in a competitive and responsible tourism industry.
As the world continues to prioritise sustainability and combat climate change, the hospitality sector has a crucial role to play in achieving a net zero carbon (NZC) future. The tourism sector is responsible for c. 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, with the hospitality sector constituting a significant part of this. Since our last report, Valuing Hotels in a Net Zero Carbon World in 2021, progress has been made in several areas, while in others, challenges remain.
Jumeirah celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP), by hosting a vital panel discussion on the collective efforts needed to protect the ocean.
Hilton announced the results of its Green Ramadan 2024 initiative, which aimed to further reduce food waste across hotel operations during the holy month. Through the effort, Hilton saw a more than 20% reduction in post-consumer food waste.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), the global spokes group for the industry’s hospitality technology segment and producers of the HITEC® brand, announced today a new project that will develop a code of digital responsibility for hospitality.
Following a longstanding commitment to support its guests’ pursuit of balance in their lives, Novotel’s three-year agreement with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) will champion the protection and restoration of the world’s oceans, the source of balance for the planet, through science-based action and conservation projects.