AHLA Partners With IncentiFind to Identify Sustainability-Related Savings for Owners, Operators
AHLA | October 30th, 2023
SH Hotels & Resorts to Open First U.S. Treehouse Hotel in Sunnyvale, California
Treehouse Hotels | September 26th, 2022
WTTC Announces Next Stage of Its Groundbreaking Hotel Sustainability Basics Initiative
WTTC | March 6, 2023
Berlin, Germany: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched the Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) verification scheme. Announced at ITB Berlin, Basics will enable tourist accommodation providers from around the world, regardless of their size, to begin their sustainability journey. Basics, an industry-wide supported initiative, is a globally recognised and coordinated set of criteria that all hotels should implement as a minimum to drive responsible and sustainable Travel & Tourism. Basics emerged as a result of a clear demand from a group of influential global hotel brands and whilst there a great numbe...
Mount Airy Casino Resort Donates Hundreds of Bed Sets and Linens to Local Animal Shelter
Mount Airy Casino Resort | February 23, 2023
MOUNT POCONO, Pa., Feb. 23, 2023 -- Mount Airy Casino Resort, Pennsylvania's first AAA Four-Diamond casino resort, is helping neglected and abused animals from the region feel a bit more comfy-cozy by donating truckloads of its finest Egyptian cotton to a local animal shelter. Camp Papillon, a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, has dozens of rescue dogs in need of comfort and warmth, especially during the cold winter months, explained Felicia Katz, vice president of Camp Papillon. "Mount Airy has provided us with items we cannot afford, soft bedding and towels to dry animals after ...
MGM Resorts Becomes First Gaming Company to Sign United Nations’ CEO Water Mandate
MGM Resorts International | February 22, 2023
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 22, 2023 -- MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) ("MGM Resorts" or the "Company") today announced it endorsed the United Nations' CEO Water Mandate – a global initiative and coalition of hundreds of major companies making bold commitments to address water crises and challenges. MGM Resorts is the first gaming company to endorse the mandate. "Given our environmental conditions, Las Vegas has long been innovative it its approach to water. We are fortunate to do business in a place that has a world class water management system and hope to help others learn from successes here," said MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Ho...
Implementing Sustainability Training Sessions for Hotel Personnel
Dr Peter Varga | February 17, 2023
By Dr. Peter Varga, Julneth Rogenhofer What can be gained by offering your operational staff a course that explains the theory and foundation of your hotel's sustainability agenda? The answer: many things! From engagement to concrete KPIs, implementing sustainability training sessions for hotel personnel can help move hotel businesses from just focussing on the single bottom line. Becoming more sustainable means going beyond the single bottom line Since the declaration of the Brundtland Report in 1987 and John Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line framework in 1994 (figure on the right), heaps of research and business articles...
Rapid Adoption of MDO Sustainability Certification Assists Hotels in ESG Efforts
MDO | February 9, 2023
15 operators comprising more than 1,500 hotels have qualified for MDO Sustainability Certification by verifying a paperless night audit process that saves substantial natural resources. BETHESDA, MD., February 9, 2023 – In just three months since launching the MDO Sustainability Calculator and Certification, 15 hotel management companies comprising more than 1,500 hotels have qualified, and their collective efforts are saving 743 trees and 134 cubic feet of landfill waste annually. The MDO Sustainability Certification was launched in November 2022 as a way to shine the spotlight on hotel owners and operators dedicated to reducing thei...
WTTC and Trip.com Group Global Traveler Report Reveals Shift Towards Sustainable Travel
World Travel & Tourism Council | January 20, 2023
Madrid, Spain: A major new report by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group, together with Deloitte, reveals a heightened appetite for sustainable tourism amongst consumers, with 69% of travellers actively seeking sustainable travel options1. In this follow-up report, WTTC joined forces again with leading global travel service provider, Trip.com Group and its major consumer brands Trip.com, Ctrip and Skyscanner, with additional data sourced from Deloitte, to analyse the trends that shaped the Travel & Tourism sector last year and will continue to do so over 2023. The report, “A world in motion: shifting c...
Sustainable Actions in Hospitality: A Driver for Competitive Advantage
Dr. Steffen Raub | January 4, 2023
By Dr. Steffen Raub Sustainability – A change in perspective The knee jerk reaction of many hoteliers to the topic of sustainability is likely to include statements like “I’d love to, but I can’t afford it …”, “We don’t have the bandwidth…” or “Of all industries, why should hospitality pay to save the planet…?” We suggest a change in perspective. Could sustainability not be seen as a win-win? Could it be that there is untapped potential in sustainability that progressive hospitality firms may be able to uncover? What if engagement in sustainability would not only help the planet and society-at-large but also...
Optimizing Sustainability in Hospitality via Supply and Value Chains
Dr Carlos Martin-Rios | January 3, 2023
By Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios The global supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed the weaknesses created by our society and economic model's dependence on global trade. This has led to a unique opportunity for businesses and individuals to review and adapt their business models in order to build a more workable and sustainable future. With an increasing number of customers demanding sustainability in hospitality and hotels, innovation of the logistics of supply and value chains demonstrates a committed approach across all processes. Some experts argue that local and human supply chains are the most sustainable ...
Transforming Tourism by Measuring Its Sustainability
UNWTO | December 20, 2022
The global MST effort responds to the urgent need for guidance to produce more credible and comparable data on the role of tourism for people, planet and prosperity. The data framework will empower policy makers and the private sector to shape innovative policies and transform business models. Governments, businesses and consumers require transparent and reliable metrics. These need to be produced in a harmonized way to benchmark performance, communicate progress, streamline policy, and ensure that action on the ground is aligned with broader policy ambitions. Launched in 2016 by UNWTO in partnership with leading countries, the Internati...
Regenerative Tourism – A Holiday Mind Shift Beyond Sustainability
Natacha Reymond | December 19, 2022
By Natacha Reymond Going beyond the concept of 'sustainable tourism' which focuses on neutralizing tourism's negative impact on the planet, 'regenerative tourism' is based on adding a positive impact to the local community and environment. Its successful implementation requires a shift in mindset about what going on holiday really means in today's changing society. What is Sustainable Tourism? As concerns for our environment grows, many tourism professionals are taking steps to mitigate the negative impacts of the travel industry. From closing down south-east Asian beaches to taxing tourist entries into cities like Venice, these effo...
Setting Tourism’s Recovery on a More Ethical Path
UNWTO | December 7, 2022
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) has met to advance the fair and responsible recovery of the sector. Meeting in Madrid and guided by the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, the Committee explored the main topics of its working groups for the next four years (period of 2022-2025). The focus of the Committee will be on analysing the ethical aspects and impacts of the following tourism-related areas, namely, (1) Decent Work, Inclusive Growth & Community Empowerment, (2) Technology & Digital Platforms, (3) Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability, and (4) Social Sustainability & Intercultural...
Trends in Hospitality – The Impact of an Energy Shift
December 6, 2022
By Lionel Saul, Tatyana Tsukanova Industry insights Energy crisis - Is there a silver lining? Tom Standage, editor of The World Ahead 2023, has named 'Revenge tourism' one of the ten trends to watch for 2023. This term is used to describe the current post-pandemic rebound in travel. Indeed, international tourism arrivals are already well underway to reaching pre-pandemic levels, which are expected to be nearly achieved in 2023. Does this mean that the hospitality and travel industry is finally over the hill of the pandemic? Nothing could be less certain as another crisis is in the process of rapidly overtaking Covid-19: the...
MDO Launches Sustainability Calculator and Certification Program
myDigitalOffice | November 15, 2022
Hotel companies are invited to share their efforts toward moving reports and documents online, receive personalized data on their environmental impact, and apply for MDO Sustainability Certification. BETHESDA, MD., November 15, 2022 – myDigitalOffice (MDO), the world's fastest-growing hotel performance management platform, today released an online sustainability calculator and certification program aimed at shining the spotlight on hotel owners and operators dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint. The calculator allows any hotel company to enter information specific to their sustainable operating processes and apply for MDO S...
Songtsam Begins Construction on Its First Zero-Carbon Hotel in Tibet
Songtsam | November 9, 2022
(New York, NY, November 9, 2022) Songtsam, an award-winning luxury boutique hotel collection and Destination Marketing Company, located in the Tibet and Yunnan Provinces of China announced the construction of Songtsam's first zero-carbon hotel, the Songtsam Linka Retreat Lake Basong Tso located in Tibet. Expected to open in July, 2023, the 120-room Retreat will be Songtsam’s 16th and largest property. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Baima Duoji, Songtsam has always had a strong commitment to the preservation of the essence of Tibetan culture, as well as environmental conservation and sustainability by supporting the economic development of the loca...
Marriott International Publishes Latest Report on Environmental, Social, and Governance Progress
Marriott International | October 31, 2022
Marriott International, Inc., today released its 2022 Serve 360 Report presenting data from 2021 and demonstrating its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts toward the company’s 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals. The Report can be accessed on the Serve 360 website. In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Marriott’s sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, guides the company's commitment to make a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business, delivering value for associates, customers, owners, the environment, and communitie...
WTTC and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Partner to Accelerate Transition to Net Positive Hospitality
WTTC | October 13, 2022
WTTC and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance aim to build a more sustainable, net positive, global hospitality industry London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing both organizations to closer collaborative working, focusing on improving the environmental and social impact of the global hospitality industry. Through the MoU, WTTC and the Alliance have pledged to promote a united voice for a more sustainable future for the hospitality industry, cooperating on new research projects to foster understanding of t...
Sustainability Action Plan for Hospitality
Steffen Raub | October 6, 2022
By Dr. Steffan Raub Highlights from a research project that lays out the framework of the most realistic and implementable steps to get a hospitality sustainability action plan started from the hotelier's perspective. Sustainability in hospitality – A challenge that is here to stay Despite the current political and economic crisis, sustainability is a topic that remains very high on the agenda of business decision-makers. This is also true for the hospitality industry. Challenging objectives exist in abundance. For instance, the Global Hotel Decarbonization Report published in 2017, claims that the hotel industry must reduce its...
Why Social Causes Are Rising Up Hotels’ Agendas
JLL | September 29, 2022
Hotels are stepping up their efforts to give back to local communities in response to increasing pressure from travelers, looking beyond environmental commitments when it comes to doing good. From collaborations with local minority-owned and female-owned businesses in the U.S. to donating bedding to homeless shelters in the Nordics, social-value initiatives are moving up the agenda. “Silence is no longer an option. Employees and guests want to know where the leadership of these companies stand on social issues, while longer-term institutional investors are demanding more socially conscious investments,” says JLL’s Global CEO of Ho...
U.S. Travel Commends Approval of EV Charging Network
U.S. Travel Association | September 28, 2022
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the final approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to begin construction on a nationwide network of EV charging stations: "The action today by the DOT approving a nationwide network of EV charging stations is a major step forward in making travel in the U.S. more sustainable. This investment will lead to the ability to travel anywhere across the U.S. by electric vehicle with greater confidence, ensuring America's roadways connect rural areas...
SH Hotels & Resorts to Open First U.S. Treehouse Hotel in Sunnyvale, California
Treehouse Hotels | September 26, 2022
Miami, FL [September 26, 2022] SH Hotels & Resorts, the sustainable brand management company founded by Starwood Capital Group Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht, today announced the first Treehouse Hotel to open in the U.S. in Sunnyvale, CA, in the high-tech heart of Silicon Valley, in late 2023. The free-spirited, environmentally conscious lifestyle brand creatively captures the carefree comfort, freedom, nostalgia and fun of childhood. Every Treehouse Hotel is founded on the adventurous ideas that inspire a child to build their “treehouse” and hang with real and imaginary friends. Treehouse Sunnyvale will fuse the creativity, innov...
‘Future of Travel Mobility’ Event Charts Path Forward for Travel Industry
U.S. Travel Association | September 23, 2022
U.S. Travel welcomed hundreds to DC’s Union Station for insights on industry challenges and opportunities WASHINGTON - One clear takeaway from U.S. Travel Association’s Future of Travel Mobility conference: Sustainability and innovation are not just buzzwords, but central pillars of the industry’s growth in coming years. Over the full-day event at Washington, DC’s Union Station on September 20, leaders from some of America’s largest travel, transportation and technology companies joined public officials in making clear that as travel rebounds, it is evolving to address shifting consumer demands and environmental sustainabi...
Radisson Hotel Group Takes Major Step to Becoming Net-Zero by 2050 With Approved Science Based Targets
Radisson Hotel Group | September 22, 2022
Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world’s leading hotel groups, has received confirmation and validation of its near-term Science Based Targets (SBTs) aligned with its commitment to be Net-Zero by 2050. The authentication has been provided by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) a partnership between experts such as CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) and the United Nations Global Compact, which drives ambitious climate action in business. It places Radisson Hotel Group amongst top companies in the world who align with the COP climate goals and set their carbon reduction targets according to science. As a leading international hotel gr...
RIU Hotels & Resorts Shares Its 2021 Sustainability Report
RIU | September 19, 2022
2021 was a year of all-around recovery for RIU Hotels & Resorts, as well as a year full of courageous decision-making and new investments. Presented yesterday by RIU to its stakeholders in July, the report is the first of its kind, as, in addition to being the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility report, it also presents the hotel chain’s major indicators and projects in 2021. The company was able to recover its business after a 2020 marked by the pandemic, an occurrence that changed the chain’s priorities, as the main objective shifted to guaranteeing people’s safety. This continues to be the company’s top pr...
New Attitudes to Hotel Circular Economy Practices
EHL | September 15, 2022
By Dr Luciano Lopez, Dr Florent Girardin Customer perception Anyone visiting hotels this past decade will have seen the message in the bathroom asking guests to help save resources by putting the towel on the floor only if a new towel is needed. Some clients may perceive this message positively as they will associate the hotel as an eco-friendly company. Some others may have a totally different perception and understand this message as a way for the hotel to reduce costs by cleaning less towels daily, to the detriment of guest comfort. Thus, depending on the client's perception, the impact on the hotel (brand perception, willi...
