Tag: 2022

Munich Kempinski first of the brand to gain EarthCheck gold certificate

GERMANY: Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich has become the first Kempinski hotel in the world to get a gold certificate with the EarthCheck programme.

GERMANY: Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich has become the first Kempinski hotel in the world to get a gold certificate with the EarthCheck programme.

 The hotel has been noted for use of goods and products from the regional market, avoidance of chemicals in cleaning agents, and more energy-efficient building services.

Holger Schroth, managing director of Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich said: “To achieve the high standard, we closely monitor the environmental and social impacts of our hotel operations including energy and water consumption, carbon footprint, waste generation and engagement with the city. The economic aspects include employment conditions, support for the local economy or the use of fair trade goods and services. I am very pleased to see that our environmentally friendly commitment has been rewarded and that we have thus been able to minimise our ecological, as well as social footprint decisively.” 

Ten Kempinski Group hotels have so far been awarded silver and 17 hotels have received bronze certifications for meeting the requirements of EarthCheck.

When the hotel had its renovations it implemented new environmentally friendly measures including facade insulation, heat-insulating windows, LED lighting, air-conditioning and ventilation systems with heat recovery.

 The hotel also uses an ‘intelligent’ in-room energy management system which switches off lights and air conditioning when guests are not in the room. Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski uses green electricity. 

Other contributions to a positive ecological balance are the use of materials with a long service life, installed by regional companies, and using green electricity.

The hotel roof has two bee colonies producing the hotel’s honey since 2012.

Image: Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich

Trip.com announces green goals and sustainable operations

WORLDWIDE: Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, has announced its long-term goal to build green tourism.

WORLDWIDE: Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, has announced its long-term goal to build green tourism.

The company is working with travel partners to cover key areas across 10,000 products in the travel sector. 

This includes offsetting flights, zero waste camping, eco hiking and green hotels.

As part of the push for sustainable accommodation and travel, the corporate travel brand of the group, Trip.Biz, recently campaigned for “Green Hotels” and “Green Flights” in mainland China. 

Trip.Biz was awarded a Silver rating by EcoVadis, an internationally recognised corporate social responsibility (CSR) rating platform in 2022. 

Jane Sun, Trip.com Group CEO said: “We have always adhered to the vision of ‘pursuing the perfect trip for a better world’ and will work with our users and partners to further reduce carbon emissions in a more holistic and systematic manner. We still have a long way to go and much more to do.”

As part of the Group’s long-term commitment to improving sustainability awareness, Trip.com sent out a survey to its customers and asked them their thoughts on sustainable travel.

The 2022 Sustainable Travel Survey revealed that travelling sustainably is essential to most respondents. Barriers to sustainable travel were discussed, with respondents highlighting that the accessibility of sustainable travel products appears to be the biggest issue. Most respondents said that sustainable travel options aren’t clearly labelled, so they aren’t easily able to locate these options when choosing a travel product; and that sustainable travel options are lacking in general.

To keep up with its sustainability goals the Trip.com Group has adopted environmental initiatives, including building intelligent energy management systems, solar hot water systems, and renewable heating systems to reduce energy consumption. 

Its headquarters in Shanghai has been awarded LEED Gold certification. 

In 2021, Trip.com Group announced its ESG Committee and joined the UN Global Compact, committing to create a more sustainable future for tourism and society.

Booking.com also recently released findings from its Sustainability Report, which indicated the importance of staying sustainably for UK travellers.

Marriott International shares London office space with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

UK: Marriott International is to share its Holborn offices with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as they work closely on environmental issues.

UK: Marriott International is to share its Holborn offices with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as they work closely on environmental issues.

Sharing Marriott International’s offices, until Q2 next year, is a key moment for the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, which brings the industry together to look at social and environmental challenges facing the world today.

In March this year, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance launched its Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality, a framework aimed at those in the industry who want to make positive changes towards climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste. It also encourages the sector to look at the social aspect, working on human rights and inclusive employment. 

Glenn Mandziuk, chief executive officer, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, said: “Our organisation is built on collaborative action – across our members, the wider hotel industry, their business associates and other strategic partners – and this office will enable our team to work together on shared environmental and social solutions. We are grateful for our partnership with Marriott International as we transition from remote working towards a permanent HQ. Coming out of the pandemic, we are seeing a huge momentum across the industry, and beyond, for sustainability, and this workspace will enable our charity to continue its evolution and growth.”

Marriott will share its offices until the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance finds a suitable headquarters, and will benefit from the partnership with the charity, drawing on its expertise and strategies for the hospitality industry. Marriott International aims to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050 through its science based targets and sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction.

Dani Murray, vice president, business finance & administration, Europe, Marriott International, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to our office space. At Marriott International, we take our commitment to environmental, social and governance extremely seriously and we value the essential work of this global sustainability network. We look forward to working closely with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance over the coming months and welcome the opportunity to support the charity’s growth and further drive collaborative action across the wider hospitality industry.”

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s members make up 25 per cent of the global hotel industry by rooms and include 14 world- leading hotel companies with a combined reach of over 30,000 properties and 4.5 million rooms.

Current members include: BC Hospitality Group, Caesars Entertainment, Dorint Hotels & Resorts, Deutsche Hospitality, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, ITC Hotels, Marriott International, Radisson Hotel Group, Scandic, Soneva and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

It’s not just industry experts who value a sustainable hotel strategy. Booking.com’s latest Sustainability Report found more than 50 per cent of UK travellers wanted to stay in sustainable accommodation when travelling abroad.

Sharm El-Sheikh hotels aim for Green Star Hotel certificate ahead of COP27

EGYPT: Sharm El-Sheikh hotels are striving to be awarded Egypt’s Green Star Hotel certificate ahead of the country hosting COP27.

EGYPT: Sharm El-Sheikh hotels are striving to be awarded Egypt’s Green Star Hotel certificate ahead of the country hosting COP27.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said 22 properties have already got the sustainable hotel certificate and 48 have applied.

Sixteen more hotels are in the process of completing the steps needed before they can apply.

The Green Star Certificate is a national green certification and capacity-building program managed by the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA) under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. 

The GSH program offers an opportunity for hotels operating in Egypt to be internationally recognised for raising their environmental performance and social standards while reducing their operational costs. 

A team of certified local and international experts guide interested hotels through a sequence of training and information support sessions leading to field audits to ensure compliance with the program standards prior to granting the GSH certification.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change (COP27) will take place in November this year.

Image: Egypt.travel

Travelodge launches ‘inclusive, caring and conscious’ sustainability strategy

EUROPE: Travelodge is aiming to become a net-zero hotel operator as it launches its new sustainability strategy.

EUROPE: Travelodge is aiming to become a net-zero hotel operator as it launches its new sustainability strategy.

The hotel company, which operates nearly 600 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain, has launched its Better Future plan, which will be based around three pillars of being inclusive, caring and conscious.

Travelodge’s strategy is to become a “sustainable business with long term profitable growth,” using science-based targets and KPIs to reach its net-zero goal.

Jo Boydell, Travelodge’s chief executive said: “As one of the UK’s largest hotel brands, we have always been committed to doing business responsibly. However, we know that there is more we need to do and we believe that sustainability has a critically important role to play in shaping the future of Travelodge. The plan has been designed to mark a step-change in our sustainability agenda and is fully integrated with our wider business strategy and our purpose to provide affordable travel for everyone.” 

To help create its Better Future plan, Travelodge appointed Simply Sustainable, an award-winning global management consulting specialist in ESG and sustainable business.

During the last 12 months, the group consulted a wide range of stakeholders, which included landlords, investors, local authorities, developers, key suppliers and charity partners. Travelodge surveyed more than 40,000 of its business and leisure customers and their team of over 10,000 colleagues. It was this feedback that helped the group develop a plan.  

To enable the implementation of Better Future, Travelodge has created a new ESG model and steering committee. The group will also provide an annual sustainability report to see how close it is to achieving its targets.

As well as aiming to provide an accessible, inclusive and affordable place for both guests and staff, the company wants to tackle reducing energy through energy efficiency projects. It also said it would have sustainability as a key consideration when building new hotels.

Boydell added: “We have a long road ahead of us to complete our route to becoming a net-zero hotel operator and continue our journey to make sustainable, affordable travel for everyone a reality.” 

Image: Travelodge.