Booking.com reveals new travel trends in Sustainable Report

The international booking platform report compiles information from 30,000 travellers from 32 different countries and territories and analyses travellers’ behaviour and expectations with regard to sustainability.

Photo by Jamie Fenn on Unsplash

For the 7th consecutive year, Booking.com inquired thousands of its users about their travel choices. The results show an increasing interest in sustainability around the globe, at environmental, social, economic, and cultural levels.

According to the Sustainable Travel Report 2022, half of the global travellers admit that the alarming news on climate change has influenced them to pursue more sustainable choices when travelling. Almost half of the travellers inquired (46%) chose at least one sustainable accommodation during their travels last year. The main reasons for this choice were a willingness to reduce the impact on the environment, wanting to have a locally relevant experience and supporting sustainable accommodations that treat the community better.

The Booking.com report suggests that the demand for sustainable accommodations can grow soon, with 78% of respondents showing their intention of staying at a sustainable property throughout this year.

Despite the significant positive numbers, the Sustainable Travel Report 2022 of Booking.com also shows that there is still a large portion of travellers that hesitate to travel more sustainably, with the biggest reason being: not knowing that sustainable properties were an option (31%) and not knowing where to search for them (29%).

The report also shows that 54% of travellers want to filter their options when booking accommodation to select those with a sustainable certification.

In recent years, Booking.com has created a “Travel Sustainable Properties” filter to help travellers find certified accommodations. To know if an establishment is for example Green Key certified on Booking.com, you can use the filter, and then click on the property that you are interested in. Under the pricing list, you will find the “Travel Sustainable Property” information that the establishment is taking significant steps towards sustainability. Finally, by clicking “read more”, it is possible to confirm whether the accommodation is certified with FEE’s Green Key.

To read the full Booking.com report, click here.

Green Key certifies two hotels in the Maldives for the first time

The Sun Island and the Royal Island hotels from Villa Hotels & Resorts group have recently received the Green Key certification. The establishments, located in the Ari and Baa Atolls in the Maldives, are the first to hold the eco-label in the archipelago.

The Royal Island Premium All-Inclusive Resort is located in the protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll (©Villa Hotels & Resorts).

The Villa Hotels & Resorts group from the Maldives has two more reasons to be proud of its sustainability journey: the resorts Sun Island and Royal Island have joined the Green Key network, becoming the first to hold the eco-label in the Maldives archipelago. The certifications were granted to the Sun Island and Royal Island resorts after a rigorous process, where the two establishments were assessed against a high set of standards developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). 

For the Director of Villa Hotels & Resorts group Mahamood Shougee, the Green Key certification reflects the resorts' compromise toward a more sustainable future:

"With the vision to work towards carbon neutrality and fully sustainable islands; the resorts are thrilled to be Green Key certified - a testament to the dedication and passionate efforts the resorts have made towards a sustainable future. The resorts support the ecological balance of the islands while demonstrating a commitment to achieving best practices of environmental and social sustainability. Inviting guests to support the resort in maintaining the lush natural environment while being more environmentally conscious allows guests to immerse themselves in an unforgettable adventure that brings them closer to nature and inspires a deeper connection during their vacation."

Bicycle rental services are available to guests on both resorts. (©Villa Hotels & Resorts)

Over the last years, both establishments have implemented several sustainable practices and actions to reduce their environmental impact. For example, on the Sun Island resort, located in the largest of Maldives Islands, and close to the South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA), the focus has been on cultivating and sourcing local produce later served in the resort's restaurant. Moreover, the Sun Island resort has also replaced plastic water bottles with glass bottles and donated all plastic for recycling in a partnership with a nonprofit organization. Among other sustainable initiatives, the resort has implemented eco-friendly techniques to reduce energy and water consumption, and it also organizes regular clean-ups on the islands with staff members and guests.

Also recently certified by Green Key is the Royal Island Premium All-Inclusive Resort, located in the protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll. Like the Sun Island hotel, the Royal Island resort invites guests to adopt energy and water-saving actions. For example, guests are encouraged to only request towels and linen washing when needed and to recycle and reuse as much as possible. The Royal Island hotel also collaborates with the DiveOceanus dive centre, located in the resort, to promote environmentally sustainable practices. The dive centre is 95% paperless, meaning all training material and administration and registration forms are digitally provided. 

The certified Green Key establishments encourage guests to respect and protect local biodiversity (©Villa Hotels & Resorts).

Green Key congratulates the Sun Island and Royal Island resorts for their efforts toward a more sustainable hospitality industry and for being the first Green Key certified establishments in the Maldives.

Visit the Sun Island and Royal Island websites to learn more about their sustainable actions.

7 Mehmet: The first restaurant in Turkey to receive a Green Key certification

Located in Antalya, Turkey, the 7 Mehmet restaurant is a popular choice, not only for its menu of contemporary and traditional Mediterranean dishes but also for its commitment to reducing environmental impact.

For 80 years, the 7 Mehmet restaurant has been a mandatory stop for those seeking an authentic experience in Antalya, Turkey. Visitors are welcomed with an extensive menu composed of more than 600 varieties of Mediterranean fare, including several Turkish traditional dishes. Seasonality is highly embraced, meaning guests will find carefully selected ingredients and a menu that adapts and changes according to the season.

The 7 Mehmet’s philosophy towards a more sustainable and locally sourced cuisine also reflects its commitment to being a Green Key certified establishment. In fact, 7 Mehmet is currently the only certified restaurant by Green Key in the entire country. As a result, 7 Mehmet has consistently implemented sustainable practices to reduce its environmental impact. On a social level, the restaurant managed by Mehmet Akdağ has supported its local community by prioritising local products from women's cooperatives to help women entrepreneurs. Moreover, 7 Mehmet has also contributed to improving the kitchen equipment used by the Gastronomy Department of Akdeniz University in Antalya while assisting the school in building larger kitchens to accommodate more students.

© 7 Mehmet

In the restaurant, there have been multiple environmental-friendly improvements, including the use of renewable energies, such as solar energy, and the adoption of many energy and water-saving devices. Waste management is also a priority for 7 Mehmet, not only through recycling but also by avoiding and properly separating food waste. Finally, the restaurant has also replaced the plastic packaging of the towels offered to guests with more sustainable packaging alternatives.

Green Key International congratulates the 7 Mehmet restaurant on its efforts toward a more sustainable hospitality industry.

Visit 7 Mehmet’s website to find out more about its sustainable journey.

New framework for achieving net positive hospitality can be implemented globally

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has recently launched its Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality, a framework created to help hospitality businesses around the globe move towards a net positive tourism industry.

© Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

With climate action failure considered one of the world’s preeminent threats, it has become even more determinant to move towards net positive tourism industry. Developed by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA) in collaboration with industry experts and environmental organisations, the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality is new a tool designed to help businesses that want to embark on a sustainable journey.

In addition to being free, the SHA framework simplifies the complex process of achieving net positive in the hospitality industry in four steps:

• Simple environmental actions

• Robust environmental actions

• Net zero impacts for the planet

• Net positive impacts on the planet

Through this framework, SHA hopes that hospitality businesses can move up the sustainability ladder through the different pathway stages until becoming net positive. The tool was built to be accessible to all companies, independently of their starting point in the sustainability pathway. On this matter, the chair of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Wolfgang M. Neuman has said:

“Our Pathway fills the current vacuum of a co-ordinated and focused strategic plan across the hospitality industry to tackle the urgently needed climate actions. It is a practical tool for any hotel, no matter their starting point, to obtain guidance on how to prioritise and sequence targeted and measurable climate actions. The Alliance wants to encourage all hotels to embrace the journey all the way to net positive. We are spearheading the dialogue beyond having ‘zero’ impact and setting a vision for what we can be putting back into the natural world with a lasting ‘positive’ impact on our planet and its people.”

The SHA has already released the two first stages of the pathway (Simple Environmental Actions and Robust Environmental Actions) and it is planning to launch the last two steps later in 2022. To learn more about the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality visit the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance webpage.

Green Key International signs UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge

By signing the UNESCO and Expedia Group’s Sustainable Pledge, Green Key further strengthens its mission of promoting sustainable travel, community resilience and heritage conservation globally.

©Eddy Billard

Green Key’s endorsement of the UNESCO Pledge means a further 3,200 properties across more than 60 countries will become part of the UNESCO Pledge, taking the total to more than 9,000 properties worldwide. The Green Key eco-label initiative is overseen by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and its national member organisations. Its priorities include increasing the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and technology to reduce resource waste and helping to create sustainable behavioural change in the hospitality and tourism industry. It rigorously audits the high environmental standards expected of its sites, which include hotels, hostels, and holiday parks and other categories in the hospitality sector.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact travel can have on local environments, economies and individuals. A recent survey from Expedia Group revealed that nearly two in three (59%)1 travelers are willing to pay more to make their trip more sustainable. The willingness to spend extra on sustainability shows that the environment is top of mind for many travelers.

Since its creation in 2019, the UNESCO Pledge has expanded, with major hotel groups and independent hotels signing up and committing to concrete, transparent and achievable action. Participating hotels support the reduction and elimination of single-use plastics and waste, the conservation of energy and water, and promote sustainable community engagement. They receive a ‘We signed the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge’ certificate, renew their commitment every year, and report on progress achieved. They also receive increased visibility with a badge on multiple travel booking sites across the Expedia Group marketplace.

Jean-Philippe Monod, SVP Government and Corporate Affairs, Expedia Group, said: “The number of organisations, hotels and properties signing up to the UNESCO Pledge is increasing at an astonishing pace, with more than 9,000 properties now committed to the cause. We are delighted to partner with Green Key - a champion of sustainable tourism - and this announcement demonstrates that more and more travel businesses are willing to make concrete and transparent commitments to sustainability as the threat of climate change becomes more real by the day.”

Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, said: “The UNESCO Pledge provides a framework for action on the ground to improve livelihoods and chart a path to a more sustainable future for travel. The commitment from Green Key International represents a significant milestone, and we are pleased to welcome more than 3,000 new properties as advocates of the UNESCO Pledge. We urge others to sign up to the Pledge and commit to progress around these essential sustainable tourism priorities, from reducing single-use plastic to saving water and energy usage, and strengthening the engagement, benefit and resiliency of local communities.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, said: “With Green Key being a leading standard of environmental and sustainable operations within the tourism industry, we are happy to enter a partnership with UNESCO and Expedia Group to support that thousands of properties across the world implement sustainable and resourceful practices to reduce the industry's overall environmental footprint."

The UNESCO Pledge is available on the Expedia Group and UNESCO global site.

Green Key certified hotel receives Best New Sustainable Hotel award

Three establishments with the eco-label were nominated in the Sustainable Hotel category of the New Hotel Awards, held in Belgium, last week.

The Radisson Grand Place Collection Brussels won the Best New Sustainable Hotel award.

It is undeniable that the last two years have been particularly challenging for the hotel industry. While some hotels endured the difficult years by reinventing themselves and adopting new practices to attract guests, others were opening their doors and starting from zero amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. To recognise the effort and persistence of new hotels inaugurated in 2020 and 2021, the New Hotel Awards were created in Belgium.

The first edition of the awards show took place in the city of Antwerp, on March 14, where a panel of jury, consisting of industry experts, chose winners from seven categories: Best New Hotel Concept, Best New Hotel Restaurant, Best New Hotel Design, Best New Hotel Bar, Best Price Guarantee, Publieksprijs (Audience awards), and Best New Sustainable Hotel.

"The main purpose of this edition was to showcase new hotels and to give a boost after these unpleasant corona years. We can proudly say that the first edition was successful and that we discovered a lot of new gems. We are already looking forward to all the beautiful things that we will see in the next edition," explained the jury president Rachel Persoon, after the ceremony.

In the category that showcases leading establishments in the field of sustainability, three Green Key certified establishments were amongst the four nominees, including the Hotel Nhow Brussels Bloom, the Radisson Grand Place Collection Brussels, and the Mercure Antwerp City Centre. The Radisson Grand Place Collection Brussels, which was first certified by Green Key in 2010 and still holds a valid certification, won the Best New Sustainable Hotel award.

Green Key International congratulates the winner and also Nhow Brussels Bloom and Mercure Antwerp for their work towards achieving a more sustainable tourism industry.

Read more about the New Hotel Awards here.

Green Key launches series of biodiversity webinars

As part of the Foundation for Environmental Education’s strategy for the next decade, Green Key is hosting four webinars on the importance of biodiversity to the tourism industry.

Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. These critical environmental threats are the focus of the Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) strategy for the next decade. Named GAIA 20:30, the strategy encompasses several actions and campaigns which aim to bring more awareness about environmental problems while contributing to a more sustainable world.

In 2022, the GAIA 20:30 focuses on biodiversity loss through different actions: promoting sustainable management of the coastal zone, combating pollinator and insect loss, preserving existing and creating new natural areas, and finally raising awareness of efforts to remove invasive alien species.

The biodiversity campaign is running across all five FEE programmes through different actions and initiatives, including a biodiversity quiz and a course that will be available from March 21. Within the Green Key programme, a series of webinars are being held in collaboration with Blue Flag, focused on the importance of biodiversity to the tourism industry. The first introductory webinar on April 5 is already open for registration (here) and will address the following key questions:

- Why is biodiversity important to the tourism industry?
- How does tourism contribute to biodiversity loss?
- How can tourism contribute to the protection of biodiversity?

Our speakers Mr Nikos Petrou, Naturalist, Nature Photographer and Author, and Mr Arnau Teixidor-Costa, Programme Officer - Ecosystem Resilience & Spatial Planning at IUCN Med will reflect on these questions and provide practical examples related to the topic.

See below our schedule for the upcoming Biodiversity webinars:

1. The importance of biodiversity to the tourism industry (April 5)
2. Welcoming nature as your guest - biophilic design in the hotel industry (April 25)
3. My establishment in action - how to support biodiversity in the tourism industry (May 12)
4. Tourism - a force for good for biodiversity (end of May - date to be confirmed)

Sign up to the first webinar event here!

"The ecolabel has paid off" – The example of DGI Byen in Denmark

The ecolabel contributed to cost reduction of the hotel and conference venue and improved its environmental strategy, according to the DGI Byen CCO (Chief Commercial Officer).

DGI Byen hotel and conference centre

As one of the 21 hotels that received the Green Key certificate in 2021 in Denmark, the DGI Byen hotel and conference centre is already benefiting from its decision of becoming a greener establishment. That is the opinion of Jesper Bremholm, the CCO of DGI Byen, who participated in the last of four Energitrim workshops organised by Sustain in January 2022. The last Energitrim workshop focused mainly on the importance of the Green Key certificate for hospitality businesses and the necessary steps for obtaining the eco-label.

Reflecting on the first year of DGI Byen with the Green Key certificate, the hotel and conference venue CCO Jesper Bremholm acknowledged that the company is already experiencing the advantages of being certified by Green Key. DGI Byen´s CCO explained that the ecolabel has not only helped the company to improve its environmental standards but also allowed DGI Byen to sell more.

To Green Key International, Jesper Bremholm clarified: “The ecolabel has paid off and brought advantages to our business as more customers today are concerned about environmental sustainability and therefore requires the ecolabel when they book location for meetings, conferences and so on. Also, our hotel guests are concerned about environmental sustainability, and we believe that having the Green Key label gets our hotel to appear in more online searches. In the economic perspective, it means that we gain customers who would not have chosen DGI Byen if we did not have the Green Key label.”

Moreover, Jesper Bremholm considers that the environmental work initiated through the Green Key certificate has allowed the hotel to better include both guests and employees in this new green strategy.

Sustainable journey of a Green Key certified restaurant featured on CNN

The Michelin awarded restaurant Grič in Slovenia has been a Green Key certified establishment since 2021.

Grič is the Slovenian word for hill. ©Suzan Gabrijan

Located in the green village of Šentjošt, a few kilometres away from Ljubljana, the Grič restaurant has made it on the Slovenian gastronomy map since becoming a Michelin star awarded restaurant in September of 2021. Young chef Luka Košir’s cuisine has been praised in the last couple of years due to his choice of local and seasonal products, some of which are produced by Grič’s team at their own farm.

Sustainability has been part of the Slovenian chef’s motto even before joining the Michelin starlight sky. In August 2021, one month before being featured in the restaurant’s prestigious red-coloured guide, Grič received its first Green Key certification, solidifying its commitment towards a greener and more sustainable hospitality industry. To become a Green Key certified establishment, Grič’s practices were assessed against a rigorous set of standards, requiring restaurants to increase the share of organic, eco or fair-trade labelled products yearly, for example. On the restaurant’s sustainable actions, Luka Košir said to the Michelin Guide: “We are 80% self-supporting with vegetables, 50% with fruits, and we also grow mushrooms. Foraging is an everyday task even in wintertime and is a big part of the restaurant's identity. We have a zero-waste policy when it comes to garden produce; we use the hard parts of the vegetables for compost and some vegetables and fruits as an extra treat for our animals. We have the first certified ecological duck farm”.

Slovenian Luka Košir is the current chef of the restaurant. ©Suzan Gabrijan

Grič has its own duck farm. ©Suzan Gabrijan

More recently, Grič’s sustainable efforts have also caught the attention of CNN, which featured the Green Key certified restaurant on their website. In the article, journalist Megan Alldrige describes the chef’s work as “blazing a trail for a more sustainable restaurant industry”. Moreover, the CNN story highlights how the surrounding forests and hills of Slovenia inspire the process of creating a dish, from the gardens to Grič’s table.

Read more about this Green Key’s certified restaurant here.