Green Key present at the “I Meet Hotel Conference - Amsterdam Edition” together with hospitality and travel professionals

Green Key was present at the “I Meet Hotel Conference - Amsterdam Edition” on 6 March 2020 at The Heineken Experience Centre, together with hospitality and travel professionals.

The conference organises speech sessions about the latest marketing, sustainability, technology and management trends in the hospitality industry. This year, the emphasize is put on the future of hospitality in a context of climate change and Green Key has already had the opportunity to be part of the discussion on 15 January 2020 during the Istanbul edition.

The Managing Director of KMVK Foundation (the Dutch organisation that runs Green Key in the Netherlands) Erik van Dijk represented Green Key and shared his long experience in hospitality and tourism. With over 600 Green Key certified establishments, including almost 360 hotels, the Netherlands has the biggest number of Green Key awarded establishments worldwide.

The aim of the panel discussion entitled "Climate emergency: the future of sustainability and your hotels" was to discuss the effects of climate change on the hospitality industry and why it is vital for the industry to take concrete actions to become more environmentally responsible. Furthermore, the demand for sustainability is growing since travellers and consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and the hoteliers need to adapt to these changes.

Together with other experts, Erik van Dijk discussed the growing concerns over sustainability and the way over-tourism is changing people’s travel patterns. The panel provided the attendees with effective solutions that hotels can implement to lower their environmental footprint. An emphasis was put on the role of Green Key in this matter. Among others, lowering the use of single used plastic to a minimum, offering more vegan food and reducing food waste are one of the hottest topics for the upcoming years the hospitality industry should work on to be more sustainable.

Every fifth hotel in Denmark is green

The Danish tourism organisation, VisitDenmark, recently published a report on sustainability in the hotel industry in Denmark showing that every fifth hotel is a Green Key awarded hotel.

In order for hotels to be awarded with the Green Key, they must fulfill an important number of stringent environmental requirements. The current 142 Green Key awarded hotels account for 20 per cent of all hotels and 40 per cent of all hotel stays in Denmark.

The Green Key eco-label helps tourists choose the most sustainable hotel to spend a night while traveling in Denmark.

“The report is a first step towards getting an overview of what Denmark can offer to those tourists for whom sustainability is an important travel motive”

— VisitDenmark's Analysis Manager Helle Damkjær

In VisitDenmark's latest sustainability analysis, 38 per cent of Germans and 36 per cent of Swedes responded that their travel choices were highly dependent on environmentally friendly and sustainable considerations.

“It is therefore good news that it is now possible to choose from 142 green hotels when you, as a tourist, need to find accommodation in Denmark. This fits well with the government’s ambition for Denmark to be the most sustainable destination.”

— Helle Damkjær

Green Key hotels make an extra effort to protect the environment

Green Key’s international eco-label is given to tourism companies that make extra efforts to protect the environment. Even though the label is present in 60 countries today, it was originally a Danish invention by HORESTA, with whom VisitDenmark collaborated to prepare the report.

In Denmark, Green Key hotels are on average twice the size of other hotels in terms of number of beds and rooms. Most of them are 4-star, located in Copenhagen and attract more business travelers than other hotels.

“Green Key hotels have more business nights than other hotels, and we expect that business nights will increasingly take place at eco-labeled hotels. In addition to that, Green Key has positively contributed to the decrease of the hotel accommodation’s CO2 footprint in the recent years.”

— HORESTA's environmental manager and Green Key National Operator Mikal Holt Jensen

You can access the VisitDenmark´s article and survey by clicking on the following link: https://bit.ly/2xhHi16 (information in Danish).

Source: VisitDenmark

Youth in Nordic countries prefer environmentally friendly travel

Research carried out by Hotels.com shows that millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) in the Nordic countries are willing to change their travel habits for the sake of the climate.

According to the “Millennials on the Move” study, 41% of millennials in the Nordic countries are willing to take action to travel in a more climate-friendly way. This is especially the case for young people from Finland, where the figure is 58%.

Destination choice plays a role for the millennials that wish to travel more environmentally friendly: 21% indicate that they have avoided long-distance trips, and 37% only travel to destinations that can be reached by public transportation, ship or train.

Emma Tagg from Hotels.com says: "It is clear that Nordic millennials pay attention to climate-friendly types of travel and how they can actively do something for the environment”. Almost half (47%) of those interviewed agree that their changed travel habits can make a difference for the environment. “We at Hotels.com are aware of this situation and we expect this trend to be even stronger in 2020”.

The “Millennials on the Move” study was done by YouGov for Hotels.com in the period from 1-14 October 2019 in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. 4,000 people – around 1,000 from each country – participated in the survey. The figures in this survey relate to question 11, 12 and 12a in the survey.

 Source: Hotels.com

TUI Group and Green Key entering cooperation agreement

TUI Group works with all Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognised certification programmes, and TUI Group will on some of its websites highlight Green Key awarded establishments.

Elounda Beach Hotel Viilas, Greece

TUI is the world’s leading tourism group. The broad portfolio gathered under the Group umbrella consists of strong tour operators, 1,600 travel agencies and leading online portals, five airlines with around 150 aircraft, over 400 hotels, 18 cruise liners and many incoming agencies in all major holiday destinations around the globe. It covers the entire tourism value chain under one roof. This integrated offering enables TUI to provide their 27 million customers with an unmatched holiday experience in 180 regions. A key feature of their corporate culture is the global responsibility for economic, environmental and social sustainability. This is reflected in more than 20 years of commitment to sustainable tourism.

As part of the cooperation agreement between TUI and Green Key, a Green Key database extract will regularly be sent to TUI Group, and TUI Group will on some of its websites (the TUI Nordic websites) add the Green Key logo next to Green Key awarded establishments that are included in TUI’s portfolio. TUI Group accepts not only Green Key awarded establishments, but establishments from all certification programmes recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

A pool with a view – but without any chemicals at Quinta Vale Porcacho

At the Bed and Breakfast Quinta Vale Porcacho in the Beiras, the centre of Portugal, you can plunge into a natural pool free of chlorine, salt or any other chemicals.

Copyright: Quinta Vale Porcacho

Quinta Vale Porcacho (Tábua) is situated on the green slopes of the hills along the river Mondego with a tremendous view at the Serra do Caramulo. What is special about this place is that you can enjoy this view from their own natural infinity pool. The pool of all together 200 m2 is a natural outdoor pool completely free of chlorine, salt or any other chemicals. It is integrated in the surrounding rocks and has a spectacular view over the vally of the river Mondego and the Serra do caramulo. The water of the pool is taken from the establishment’s on well. The secret of the pool is the filtering and the circulation of the water. The first filtering takes place in three bassins filled with a kind of lava stone. From there the water is pumped to the area with special plants, where the second natural filtering takes place. The plants supply the water with oxygen and the result is a clear, clean and healthy swimming area. A biologist who tests the water on a regular bases is always satisfied with the quality of it.

Our ecological pool is one of the most appreciated attractions of our quinta and is a very good expression of our green philosophy!

- Jan van Loon, Quinta Vale Porcacho

But the accommodation has even more to offer. Quinta Vale Porcacho is a perfect combination of an ecological Bed and Breakfast and a biological farm with comfortable and luxurious rooms and healthy food. They produce biological oranges, oliveoil, wine and various fruits like strawberry, raspberry, apples and pears.  All the products of the quinta are served in breakfast, lunch or dinner. Since 2018, they have also intensified their biological vegetable garden. 50% of their fruits and vegetables are grown on the premises of the quinta. In five years, they want to increase this percentage to 80%!

Copyright: Quinta Vale Porcacho

Radisson Hotel Group announces global plan for a future with reduced single-use plastics

Radisson Hotel Group, one of the largest and most dynamic hotel groups in the world, is launching a global roll-out plan of plastic reduction – including the introduction of bulk amenities in all hotels across the group’s portfolio by 2022.  

Radisson Hotel Group will implement bulk amenity dispensers across all brands by the beginning of 2022, replacing small bottles for common bathroom products. This action will remove 57 million miniature amenities from circulation, avoiding the use of almost 500 tons of plastic annually.

In addition, Radisson Hotel Group has a global commitment to #refusethestraw, ensuring plastic straws and plastic stirrers are no longer used in its hotels by 2021 and eco-friendly alternatives will be offered to guests upon request.

Federico J. González Tejera, President & CEO, Radisson Hospitality AB and Chairman, Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group, said:

“Plastic pollution is one of the current major global issues and our Group is proud to play a leading role in driving plastic reduction across the travel and tourism industry. We are a signatory to the International Tourism Plastic Pledge – further demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Business, in line with the targets laid out in our five-year strategic plan. Responsible Business is a key element in our approach to growth and is vital to our ambition to become one of the leading hotel companies in the world.”

The Group is also running a series of innovative pilot projects in various locations, with the aim of finding new ways to drive plastic reduction globally. These include:

• In all the Group’s properties in India, a roll-out of Commercial Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration systems to provide in-house bottled water and avoid the use of PET water bottles.  

• In Bangladesh, Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View is piloting a similar installation and is replacing PET water bottles by in-house filtered and bottled quality water.  

• Since 2011, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson offers classic diningware and silverware to accompany its complimentary, hot breakfast. The introduction of classic diningware represented an industry first among major brands within the midscale hotel segment.

• A first in Africa, making the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abidjan Airport in Ivory Coast plastic neutral. The hotel is currently offsetting its footprint of PET water bottles together with the social enterprise, Coliba. Through Coliba’s community collection system for plastics, Radisson Blu ensures that its PET bottles are recycled correctly and the same number of PET bottles as used annually by the hotel, are removed from the local neighbourhood and included in the recycling process.  

• To cut down on the use of 39,000 plastic water bottles in the average hotel each year the Group offers unlimited filtered water to guests. This is already in place in selected hotels such as the Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport (England) and the Radisson RED hotel Brussels (Belgium), additionally, guests are offered reusable Radisson Rewards water bottles.  

• The upcoming roll-out of a waste collection and recycling programme of the new bulk amenity dispenser containers and soaps in North America. Beyond diverting waste from polluting our lands and oceans, this will benefit our communities: soap and bulk amenities will be sorted, processed and distributed to people in need.  

• In addition to making Radisson Meetings 100% carbon neutral, the Group is constantly striving to phase out single-use plastics in meetings and events across its portfolio and has already achieved this in over 200 of its hotels, with the aim to roll-out this initiative to other properties.

Sustainable Cooling Lagoon at The Sheraton Grand Hotel, Doha

Since almost 40 years, the Sheraton Grand Hotel is saving water and energy with the help of a cooling lagoon.

Copyright: The Sheraton Grand Hotel Doha

The Sheraton Grand Hotel in Doha is a truly iconic establishment. Opened in 1982, it was the first internationally branded hotel in Qatar. Due to its unique architecture, it has become a true landmark of the city.

But the hotel does not only impress with its long history and inimitable design, but also with its early commitment to the environment. Already during its construction it was decided to replace cooling towers for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning with a cooling lagoon right next to the establishment.

But the hotel does not only impress with its long history and inimitable design but also with its early commitment to the environment. Already during its construction, it was decided to replace cooling towers for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning with a cooling lagoon right next to the establishment.

Usually, cooling towers are needed to extract heat from water that has been used for cooling in chillers. To do so, water and air are brought into contact to lower the temperature of the hot water. During this process, water is lost as humidity while performing the cooling synthesis. This water needs to be replaced by an external water source which increases the water consumption of the establishment. Especially in dry climates, this can put pressure on the water supply.

By replacing the cooling tower with a lagoon, the external water quantity necessitate to complete condensation process in the chillers get replace with seawater.

According to the hotel, this method saves approximately 600,000 kWh of electricity and 100,000 cubic metres of water per year. In addition, there is no need for chemical treatment of the seawater.

All Center Parcs parks in Europe are Green Key certified

24 Centre Parcs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, as well as three Sunparks parks (operated by Center Parcs in Belgium), are now awarded the Green Key. This is an important milestone for the company that has thereby demonstrated its commitment to saving the environment while maintaining guests' comfort and quality.

De Kempervennen, the Netherlands

At the end of 2019, all parks in France, Germany, eight Dutch parks and five in Belgium were Green Key certified. Now comes the certification of the Belgian park Center Parcs Les Ardennes and the Dutch Center Parcs Parc Sandur.

According to Erwin Dezeure, CSR director Center Parcs Europe, the certification shows that Center Parcs is progressive in terms of sustainability and social engagement:

I am extremely proud that all our parks in Europe are Green Key certified. Achieving this certificate was our goal for 2022, but our parks have already achieved this two years earlier. This certification is a wonderful recognition of the many "green deeds" in our parks and a reflection of the sustainable ambitions of Center Parcs.

For example, on 1 January 2020, we said goodbye to disposable plastic and all the electricity in our parks is green. Smart thermostats and efficient showerheads in our cottages also ensure significant energy savings. Our CO2 footprint has decreased by more than 50% compared to 2010. Moreover, with a biodiversity plan for each park, we focus on a good mix so that people and nature are in complete balance with each other.

Erwin Dezeure and Paul Renders, Center Parcs

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, adds:

We are very happy that a leading player such as Center Parcs is joining Green Key on a European level. In all its holiday parks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, Center Parcs shows how seriously it takes people, hospitality, climate and environmental awareness. That is a result the company can be extremely proud of and from which all guests and the environment of the parks benefit. We hope that Center Parcs also inspires other establishments to reduce their environmental impact.

Excellent score on sustainability

Center Parcs was the first company in the recreation sector to meet the ISO 14001 and 50001 standards. After the audits, 27 certified parks now also meet Green Key's strict standards in terms of sustainability, the environment and corporate social responsibility. This includes environmental standards such as registering and saving on the use of gas, water and electricity and reducing the amount of (residual) waste. Moreover, the parks score very well on many optional criteria. These standards include, for example, sustainable measures such as the use of alternative pesticides, the provision of organic dishes in restaurants and organic products in supermarkets and the minimal use of mono-packaging. This also includes energy and water-saving measures that Center Parcs has taken in the Aqua Mundo, its activities to support disadvantaged people in the labour market and its cooperation with civil society organisations.

Strong reputation for sustainability

Center Parcs distinguishes itself through all kinds of activities for every family member in the middle of nature. They not only take care of nature but also of people: guests, employees and the community. Center Parcs works together with organisations that bring people and nature together, such as the World Wildlife Fund, to better pass on the planet to future generations. In addition, various animal species can be found in the parks and Center Parcs uses far fewer chemicals in its subtropical Aqua Mundo swimming pools than in regular swimming pools. Center Parcs brings people closer together, but also closer to nature. This is expressed in various initiatives within the "Good and Green Deeds" of Center Parcs.

Bispinger Heide, Germany

About Center Parcs Europe

For over 50 years, Center Parcs has been an expert in nature vacations throughout the year. As the founder of the short holiday close to home, Center Parcs has set a new standard in the recreation sector but also wants to continue to surprise its guests in the future. She does this by continuing to innovate and setting a new standard in the coming years in experience, stay and really being together. Center Parcs is characterized and distinguished by the countless activities for every family member because it is only really a vacation when everyone is having a good time, then you are really together.

Center Parcs Europe is part of Pierre et Vacances Center Parcs Group. Center Parcs owns 27 European parks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. 5 million guests were received in 2018-2019 and the company achieved a turnover of 768 million euros.

For more information, please visit www.centerparcs.nl.

New national management of Green Key in Iceland

The organisation Vottunarstofan Tún has become an affiliate member of the Foundation for Environmental Education and will take over the management of the Green Key programme in Iceland

Tún is a well-known organisation in Iceland working as an inspection and certification body for organic and sustainable production and services, including tourism services. Tún will now also be in charge of the national administration of the Green Key programme in Iceland.

Two Icelandic hotels already have the Green Key certification: Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel Saga, and the number of Icelandic establishments participating in the Green Key programme is expected to increase during 2020.

Gunnar Á. Gunnarsson, managing director of Tún, the Icelandic Green Key National Operator, says: “The Green Key is an internationally respected certification scheme of high quality. It is an exciting challenge to be entrusted with its management in Iceland, a country which increasingly relies on verified environmental credentials for future economic and social wellbeing. We look forward to working with FEE and other relevant stakeholders to develop the Green Key in Iceland and we are optimistic that a growing number of Icelandic businesses will realize its benefits.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director, adds: “We are very happy to have an experienced organisation like Tún in charge of the administration of the Green Key programme in Iceland. Iceland is a country with amazing natural beauty and it is crucial that the hospitality industry contributes to the sustainable development in Iceland through a programme like Green Key.”

For more information about Green Key in Iceland, please contact the Green Key National Operator, Vottunarstofan Tún, c/o Mr Gunnar Á. Gunnarsson, phone: +354 511 1330 and e-mail: tun@tun.is.