News & Stories

Augsburg. Today in focus: BIM-based building passport / Biofuel at AIDA Cruises / Kerosene made of sunlight / Robot charging column for e-cars / Food waste measures at Metro.

Vienna. The ambitions towards sustainability among the Austrian hoteliers is probably not based on an increased environmental awareness but rather on cost factors: Some of them already wanted to be energy self-sufficient years ago, and more of them are doing so now. This certainly pays off during and after the gas crisis. Among the hotels, which produce their own power and heat, are pioneers and lucky stars. This is about an old castle hotel in Carinthia, the Boutqiuehotel Stadthalle Vienna, as well as about wood, wood chips and old figures.

Dresden. The sustainability reports of large hotel groups as they are published today will in future no longer be sufficient. They are too imprecise. The EU Commission has now intervened in a significant move: In July, it resolved to implement the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. In the industry, it means that significantly more companies will be required to report - starting as early as 2024. Standards are becoming much tougher, external audits mandatory. Professor Dr Hannes Antonschmidt from the SRH Dresden School of Management describes the changes.

Heidelberg. Because around half of the waste generated in Germany comes from the construction and demolition sector, the city on the Neckar is relying on the urban mining principle with the pilot project "Circular City – Building Material Cadastre for the City of Heidelberg".

Berlin. The German Federal Cabinet decided this week on the future distribution of CO2 costs between tenants and landlords. For this purpose, it has developed a tiered model based on the specific emissions of the rented building. For commercial properties such as hotels, a 50:50 regulation still applies for a transitional period.

Augsburg. Today in focus: Twitter advertising ban / CO2 compensation in the booking process / Package tours by train / LH flying CO2-neutral / Hydrogen train / Climate-neutral cement / Circular economy and material leasing / Sustainable coffee capsules / Less water consumption through mini-turbines / New frameworks & memberships.

Amsterdam. Unsurprisingly, Booking.com concludes in its Sustainable Travel Report that 71% of travellers want to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months. 70% of travellers worldwide would be more likely to choose sustainable accommodation in this context – regardless of whether they are specifically looking for it or not. However, it is interesting to note that most lack easy access to the relevant information to make an informed decision to choose more sustainable travel options.

Augsburg. The revenue of the business travel segment in Germany has currently plummeted by 75% compared to 2019, reports the business travel association VDR. New business can arise if the corporate requirements for carbon footprint and compensation are met. They are becoming a standard requirement for corporates and can also be transparent for hotels. A green RevPAR is conceivable in the future.

Dresden. Every year, approximately 88 million tonnes of food are disposed of in the EU. One of the main culprits is hospitality, above all all-inclusive hotels with up to 60% of the food purchased ending up in the rubbish. A handbook shows, among other things, how guests can be actively encouraged to avoid waste.

Vienna (March 25, 2022). The Austrian tax office is to reimburse hotel companies for prepaid energy taxes. The model is valid for this and next year. The industry is relieved.