News & Stories
Vienna. Mountains wear green – and not only when the snow melts away from the peaks. A study by the Austrian Federal Environmental Agency shows that holidays in mountain regions, even in those with high levels of development, have a comparatively low carbon footprint. University research unexpectedly shows that the biodiversity on ski slopes can even benefit. On the other hand, scientists expect climate change to make winter sports below 1,800 metres impossible by 2050.
London/Munich. The motivation comes from pure pressure: Only then do hoteliers take care of more sustainability. It is the company's own energy consumption, CO2 emissions and waste that causes the highest costs. Nevertheless, most hoteliers think only on short term and not in the medium or long term, nor strategically, criticizes Xenia zu Hohenlohe the industry. With the Considerate Group, it advises smaller individual hotels and hotel groups on how to implement Corporate Social Responsibility. The way is the goal: It is about permanent improvement of the hotel performance, not about quick success overnight. The Oetker Collection shows that this is possible. CEO Frank Marrenbach has committed everyone in the Group to sustainability.
Amsterdam. In recent years, the fight against food loss and waste has gained importance. From the government's agenda to companies' green strategy, the topic is on top of the list, including in the hospitality industry. How committed are hoteliers when it comes to combating food waste? Are their actions sufficient? Can technology help them address the issue? Is training future generations a key to the problem? Sarah Douag tried to understand the ins and outs of this complex topic, with the help of a hospitality professor, an F&B manager and a start-up CEO recruiting waste warriors.
Boracay. It was 2017 when Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel on Boracay to attend a wedding. During his stay, Duterte drove himself into a rage: "Swimming in Boracay is like swimming in a cesspool." This statement was an absolute provocation, as Boracay had been ranked among the ten most beautiful tropical islands in the world on a regular basis. The dictator, however, did not stop at grumbling, but ordered the island to be closed for six months in April 2018. A disaster for the locals, while the gradual change came as a blessing for the environment. The aim: an absolutely flawless island by 2020. The "ecologic fate" of Boracay fits perfectly into the current debate on overtourism. hospitalityInside editor Fred Fettner, a big fan of the Philippines, researched and photographed Boracay.
Amsterdam. For three years now, Booking.com has been on a global mission to search, identify, mentor and fund like-minded start-ups that believe in technology's ability to have a positive impact on the world of travel. The OTA recently awarded 2 million euros in funds to ten start-ups ready to scale up for better sustainability in tourism.
Vienna/Queensland. Environmental seals, stuck to the hotel room, do not have any impact. Eco boats are not the ones, which are stormed by tourists first. And those who want to save on food waste during breakfast should use smaller plates at their buffets. At the Congress of the Austrian Hotelier Association in January, a Slovenia woman teaching in Australia, showed, which environment-friendly indications and requests are followed by the guests and which are not. This can only be the start of another intense discussion about sustainability in hotels.
London. Considerate Hoteliers relaunches its company identity. The company has grown from a specialist company driving responsible business practices in hotels, to the "Considerate Group" – being able to also service SMEs in the restaurant, cruise ship, serviced apartments or suppliers' business. Next year, a new App for SMEs will be launched.
Frankfurt/M. It all starts with a simple message: "Put the towel on the floor of the bathroom or in the laundry basket for used towels if it should be changed, and hang it up if not." The confusion starts when the housekeeping finds used towels in different places and does not know what to do with them. So they replace them – and the hotel's sustainability promise has gone. Klaus Lengefeld, our sustainability expert recommends how to deal with this tricky situation.
Berlin. Investing in energy efficiency and sustainability is worthwhile for accommodation companies: they save costs and CO2 and increase the property value. The German Energy Agency has accompanied 30 hotels and hostels during the energetic restructuring.
Amsterdam. Smartphones, smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart devices, etc., it sure seems like the world has never been more intelligent than today. And the hospitality industry is no stranger to the trend as several examples of smart rooms and smart hotels have been popping up in recent years. From AccorInvest and Hilton to Louvre's first SmartHotel in Shanghai, from investors to developers, from hotel owners to operators, the industry is following a growing trend which is yet to be correctly defined. What is the definition of a smart hotel? Sarah Douag asked professionals.