News & Stories
Brussels. 47 of Carnival Corporation's ships docked in Europe, release 10 times more sulphur than all the passenger cars in Europe. This is one shocking finding of recent study about cruise ships. They are heavy polluters. Cruising, a fast-growing segment of the European leisure travel industry is set to fall under some strict regulations regarding anti-pollution standards, which will no doubt raise costs substantially for operators.
Ithaca. For the first time, a current study has estimated the global ecological footprint of the entire hotel industry and correlated the measurement data of an individual hotel group with these values. An example that encourages imitation.
Hamburg. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" are widely known? The Hamburg NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra presents the composer's probably most well-known opus in an unheard version to date.
Augsburg. Sustainability has become a buzz word. Instead of just talking or procrastinating, what’s needed is action. The two women from Hamburg, Franziska Altenrath and Alexandra Herget, tackle the topic of sustainability in the hotel and restaurant industry head on with their online platform Tutaka. The self-proclaimed "ecoists" show that even in the hotel industry, there are alternatives to individual packaging and plastic toothbrushes.
Augsburg. The confidence of institutional investors in alternative investment funds is increasing. After real estate, the development of infrastructure and renewable energies have now also become attractive asset classes for German investors. As in the case of real estate, the preferred investment location is their own country.
Vienna. When the CEOs of an airline and of the rail network come together to discuss sustainable mobility, there's sure to be a clash of opinions. Yet one thing is clear: Rail travel is currently gaining ground, both in terms of image and demand, compared to the airlines. This also raises many questions for both tourism and for the hotel industry. Will the festivals in Salzburg or Vienna collapse when Austrian domestic flights are cancelled? And how can you convince even more guests to leave the car at home when they take a holiday in the Alps? The hotel associations in Austria and in "rail paradise" Switzerland are reassuring.
Hamburg. Greta Thunberg and her followers are currently converting the world to sustainability. However, they havnen't convinced developers, investors and owners, as a survey of 130 guests at the 11th Hogan Lovells Hotel Day in Hamburg this Wednesday showed.
Amsterdam. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex was in Amsterdam earlier this week for the launch of Travalyst. The green travel initiative has been co-founded with the collaboration of travel online giants: Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Ctrip and Skyscanner, as well as Visa.
Vienna. To experience the world and in so doing to leave only a small carbon footprint. This is how tourism is to function in future. Greta Thunberg has unleashed a global mass movement. But the reality looks more hypocritical. Tourism providers and destinations are still moving at a snail’s paces.
Munich. The Cocoon Hotels are taking a new approach when it comes to waiving the need for room cleaning: They offer guests not only a gift, but also a special rate, the so-called Green Rate.