As media partners of the GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Conference in Stockholm next week we are looking forward to bringing you the news and insight from the sustainable travel and hotel experts gathered in Sweden. I will be meeting with some great people and hearing from those who are moving the sector forward. Look out for updates on our LinkedIn page as well as other social channels.
We reported last week about the new EU Directive which will mean hotels have to be careful about how they present their ESG information to guests. As hotels look for help on how to collect and report data, Danish start-up BeCause has announced its new CSRD reporting tool. See more below.
We have news from Travalyst, which held its annual meeting this week and talked about regenerative and sustainable tourism, and a story from UN Tourism on how Croatia is being prepped as a hub for sustainability.
Don't miss the article with Fred Bean, founder and CEO of HotelPORT, who visited Costa Rica and discovered that the hospitality sector can embrace environmental stewardship, supporting ocean research and economic development, while still offering outstanding personalised service.
Until next time,
Felicity Cousins
Editor Sustainable Hotel News
Image of Croatia by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash
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BeCause, which helps hotels manage their sustainability data, will soon offer a new tool that helps global hotel chains meet their reporting and compliance obligations under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Starting in the second half of 2024, hotels using the Danish start-up’s technology will have access to a digitised version of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the first mandatory and standardised sustainability framework for companies in Europe.
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Travalyst, the not-for-profit organisation founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, has brought together travel and technology brands in France this week to discuss sustainable and regenerative tourism.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, said: “Communities are the beating heart of travel, and we must do better by the people who are the custodians of the places we visit."
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UN Tourism is working with the government of Croatia and the University of Zagreb to establish a research and development centre focused on sustainable tourism.
The minister of tourism and sport of Croatia, Nikolina Brnjac, and UN tourism secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create the research institution.
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Zeal Hotels has carried out the traditional topping out ceremony for its forthcoming net zero carbon hotel in Exeter, the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park.
The property is being constructed with half the embodied carbon of a standard hotel, with Zeal working with RED Construction South West to reduce rather than offset emissions.
Sustainable features of the hotel will include photo voltaic roof and wall panels which will generate 100 per cent of the property’s electricity consumption, as well as EV charging points and all produce being sourced locally or grown on site.
Zeal Hotels says it will be accountable for not only the hotel’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions, but also its Scope 3 emissions from the property’s construction and operation supply chain.
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The Sustainable Operations Guidelines of Six Senses, which is part of IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio, has gained GSTC-Recognised Standard status.
This means the group’s operations guidelines document has been fully recognised as equivalent to the GSTC Industry Criteria.
Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses said: “Sustainability drives every decision we make at Six Senses. Quite simply, it’s non-negotiable. "
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DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Piccadilly, which is managed by global hotel management company Valor Hospitality, has unveiled a full room refurbishment with sustainability in mind.
Brian McCarthy, president at Valor Hospitality UK & Europe said: “Updating hotel décor should have as little impact on the planet as possible, and I’m delighted to see the results of how much furniture we were able to donate or recycle by working closely with our partners.”
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Palladium Hotel Group has provided an update on its Palladium Cares CSR programme, which launched in May last year.
The programme is built around the three pillars of Our People, Our Community and Our Planet, and the group is midway through what it is calling “a great project to change the world”, under the name ‘4 Causes to take Action’.
The first phase of this project – Protecting Children – was completed in summer 2023, followed by the second phase – Reducing Inequality – in autumn last year.
The group says it has now completed the third phase of the project – Caring for the Planet – with initiatives including an environmental awareness workshop at the group’s Only YOU Hotel in Valencia, and a circular economy initiative at the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife, which sees kitchen biowaste transformed into compost which is then either used onsite or packaged for use by local farmers.
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Hospitality management company Dossen has become the first Chinese wholly-owned group to join the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Dossen International Group has more than 3,500 member hotels either operating or under development across 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China.
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Fred Bean, founder & CEO of HotelPORT recently visited Costa Rica’s Marina Bahia Golfito. Here he explains how the visit served as a powerful testament to the potential of sustainable tourism and how the hospitality industry can embrace environmental stewardship, supporting ocean research, conservation and economic development, while still offering outstanding personalised service.
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