AHLA Partners With IncentiFind to Identify Sustainability-Related Savings for Owners, Operators
AHLA | October 30, 2023
SH Hotels & Resorts to Open First U.S. Treehouse Hotel in Sunnyvale, California
Treehouse Hotels | September 26, 2022
Sustainability
CKI Solutions Transitions to Compostable Packaging
CKI Solutions | September 20, 2023
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—September 20, 2023—Cadence Keen Innovations (d/b/a CKI Solutions), serving the hospitality industry, including cruise, for more than 20 years, is putting plastic packaging in the past and transitioning to compostable packaging for all its mattress and pillow encasements, bed doublers, as well as all other products using plastic or poly bags, including its Bed MadeEZ® Bed Maker. “The transition has already begun and will be included in all new products as they come in from the factories,” says Rachel Montross, Senior Marketing Manager for CKI Solutions. “We are moving away from zippered plastic packaging to ...
American Hotel & Lodging Association and Hotel Association of Canada Announce Expansion of Green Key Global Sustainability Certification Program
AHLA | September 19, 2023
Green Key Global is the best-in-class sustainability process and practice certification for the hotel and lodging industry, designed by hoteliers, for hoteliers. WASHINGTON (Sept. 19, 2023) – Today, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) have signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture company that will own and operate the Green Key Global certification program in the United States and Canada. The announcement, made at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, represents a pivotal moment for environmental action in the hotel industry. Green Key Global is a North American environment...
How Hotel Owners, Operators Are Syncing Up on ESG Goals
JLL | September 6, 2023
Green agreements are helping owners and operators align on sustainability goals Hotel operators and investors are increasingly collaborating to accomplish shared green goals, a sign of growing interest in meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. Take luxury resort group Six Senses and its parent company InterContinental Hotels Group. Each Six Senses property embeds sustainability commitments, such as the adoption of green building standards, the allocation of funds toward local community and environmental initiatives, and even the appointment of in-house sustainability professionals. “ESG is quickly gaining si...
How to Address AI’s Energy Demands? AI Can Help With That
JLL | August 4, 2023
Sustainability efforts are putting the focus on data centers Generative AI technologies that can turn simple phrases into stunning, photo-realistic images have sparked the world’s imagination. They also require a substantial amount of energy. Researchers estimate that running one generative AI algorithm requires up to five times more energy than a regular search engine query. Just training ChatGPT took the same amount of energy as driving 123 combustion vehicles for one year. With AI queries on the rise – openai.com alone pulled in 1.9 billion visits in May 2023, according to SimilarWeb – the boost in energy requirements matt...
Sustainable Business Travel: Our Partnership for a Greener Future
Jack Mahan | July 5, 2023
By Jack Mahan, Rod Clough, Janet Ott At HVS, we take sustainability seriously. It is an important topic for us as a firm and also for the hospitality industry as a whole. As consultants to hotels and hotel operators, we spend much time traveling to meet our clients and conducting site inspections at hospitality properties across the country and globe. Travel is an essential component of what we do as a firm. More broadly, business travel represents nearly one-fifth of all global travel. In 2019, U.S. residents alone took more than 460 million business trips, according to Sustainable Travel International. Unfortunately, business travel al...
GBTA Foundation Reveals the State of Climate Action in Global Business Travel in New Report
GBTA | June 13, 2023
Findings from GBTA’s “The State of Climate Action in Business Travel” report cite awareness, investment and communication as key factors in advancing global sustainability The time is now for the global travel industry to enact meaningful changes for the climate, according to a newly released report, “The State of Climate Action in Business Travel – Global Industry Barometer 2023,” from the GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). As reflected in the findings, “business travel is at a critical juncture” as the industry continues to adjust to new realities and envisions a more r...
Food Waste Management: Innovative Solutions for Hospitality
Dr Carlos Martin-Rios | May 25, 2023
By Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios, Julneth Rogenhoger Why is food waste a problem? In recent years, food waste management has become one of the most critical topics in the hospitality industry. Whether it's to cut costs or reduce environmental impact, food waste has become relevant, not only for hoteliers and people in management, but for the average guest as well. On the surface, food waste management sounds like it should be an easy problem to address. Hoteliers have already begun to tackle the issue with farm-to-table programs and projects like Second Harvest, but do these efforts actually make a difference? Source: The cost of food wa...
New Benchmarking Study Outlines Corporate Best Practices for Managing Business Travel’s Climate Impact
GBTA | April 24, 2023
Coinciding with Earth Month, the GBTA Foundation report showcases collective best practices and insights from leading companies taking action on Scope 3.6 emissions for greener corporate travel As companies strive to reduce their carbon footprint, they are implementing various strategies to decarbonize their employee travel. But which practices are effective in driving change and ultimately empowering organizations to continue leveraging business travel while reducing their climate impact? A new benchmarking study released today, “Managing Emissions From Business Travel Programs: Overview of Corporate Best Practices,” sheds light on...
Cost vs Conscience: Booking.com Delves Into the Dilemma Dividing Sustainable Travel in 2023
Booking.com | April 21, 2023
NEW YORK, APRIL 21, 2023 – Booking.com releases new research, with insights gathered from more than 33,000 travelers across 35 countries and territories, that highlights a dilemma where people feel potentially forced to choose between cutting costs and being more mindful about making more sustainable travel choices. At a time of general global uncertainty, traveling more sustainably continues to be front of mind for US travelers, with two thirds (67%) believing people need to act now and make more sustainable choices to save the planet for future generations. The news continues to be a key influence driver for 44%, who say the recen...
MDO Celebrates Earth Day by Helping Hotels Reduce Environmental Footprint
MDO | April 21, 2023
Adopting a Paperless Night Audit process – which moves critical financial documents into a secure, digital environment for storage and compliance – can be directly correlated to significant reduction in tree and forest harvesting. BETHESDA, MD., April 21, 2023 – MDO, the world’s fastest-growing hotel performance management platform, continues to shine the spotlight on hotel owners and operators dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint. This Earth Day, MDO celebrates the 15 operators comprising more than 1,500 hotels who have qualified for MDO Sustainability Certification by verifying a paperless night audit process to s...
Travelers’ Interest in Sustainable Tourism Options Increases
April 19, 2023
During the pandemic, it was well-documented that the decrease in carbon emissions resulted in positive environmental impacts such as reduced air pollution, improved air and water quality, and ecological restoration. As travel restrictions have eased and travelers hit the road and skies once again we must balance the return of travel with the importance of improving sustainability in the travel industry. At Expedia Group Media Solutions, we routinely commission custom research to get the insights you need into traveler’s interests and behaviors. What we found was that travelers are increasingly seeking ways to have more meaningful and con...
Hotel Environmental Sustainability Also Means Profit Sustainability
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | April 19, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky With the new legislation put forward in Congress that’s aiming to ban gas stoves (citing both health and environmental concerns), it’s easy for many of us to get caught out in the sheer divisiveness of the news story and miss the overarching trend. Sustainability and ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) are not only here to stay but, as this national policy demonstrates, leading governments and public authorities around the world are willing to take increasingly bolder actions in the existential fight against climate change. But political parties being political parties – that is, focused on their ...
Travel Industry Unites to Help Travelers Choose Sustainable Options
U.S. Travel Association | March 28, 2023
The U.S. Travel Association today launched a first-of-its-kind initiative, JourneyToClean.com, to share the collective story of the U.S. travel industry’s bold vision for achieving greater sustainability. The initiative consists of more than 100 examples of sustainable travel practices from a diverse cross-section of more than 50 travel businesses. “The travel industry embraces sustainability initiatives and business practices because it is good for the planet AND it’s good for business,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “Travelers and businesses alike are demanding more sustainable options, and our ...
WTTC Data Reveals Portugal’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint
The World Travel & Tourism Council | March 21, 2023
London, UK: New groundbreaking data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center reveals the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in Portugal. In one of the largest research projects of its kind ever undertaken, WTTC can, for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact the sector has on the environment. According to the data, Portugal’s Travel & Tourism has continued to grow, whilst reducing its emissions intensity. In 2019, the sector accounted for 17.8% of total greenhouse gas emissions across Portugal. Whilst this is above the Europe...
New WTTC Environmental Data Reveals Italy’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint
The World Travel & Tourism Council | March 20, 2023
Sector’s GDP has grown on average 1.1% annually while greenhouse gas emissions increased by just 0.2% each year Italy’s Travel & Tourism is becoming more energy efficient London, UK: New groundbreaking data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center reveals the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in Italy. In one of the largest research projects of its kind, the global tourism body can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact the sector has on the environment. According to the data, Italy’s Travel & Tourism has cont...
Sustainability in The Hospitality Industry: Working Towards “Travel Without a Footprint”
Mandeep S. Lamba | March 17, 2023
By Mandeep S Lamba, Dipti Mohan “Sustainability” has evolved beyond a trendy buzzword in recent years, with consumers and businesses alike becoming more conscious and involved in playing their part in preserving the planet for future generations. India has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070, and in order to turn the country’s climate-change-related ambitions into reality, all industries must work together in an unprecedented collaboration. Thanks to the growing demand for “greener” holidays, sustainability has become crucial even in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which not only make significant contributions to...
New Report to Support Climate Action in the Tourism Sector
UNWTO | March 10, 2023
UNWTO has released a new report highlighting the progress that global tourism has made in measuring greenhouse gas emissions as well as the challenges the sector still faces. Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key for climate action. However, the tourism sector as the value chain is complex, diverse and overlapping, making sure measurement challenging. The new report "Climate Action in the Tourism Sector: An Overview of Methodologies and Tools to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions" was developed by UNWTO with support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of G...
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, the Brand’s Flagship Property, Is Now Open
SH Hotels & Resorts | March 7, 2023
KAUAI, HI - March 7, 2023 - 1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announces the opening of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, its flagship nature-and-wellness-focused island oasis overlooking a storied stretch of Kauai’s North Shore. Guests seeking solace and serenity at this sustainable sanctuary can swim, snorkel, bike, paddle, kayak, soak up the sun and surf off a legendary beach where Native Hawaiians lived in harmony with nature for generations and a laidback surf scene still thrives. The dramatic peaks of the Namolokama and Mamalahoa mountains loom over a verdant valley...
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...
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