The impacts of the pandemic on the travel industry

In an interview with Green Key International, Jens Zimmer Christensen, the chairman of HOTREC and HORESTA (Danish Hotel & Restaurant Association), has been sharing his thoughts on the impacts of the pandemic on the third-largest industry in Europe, the travel industry, and the hospitality sector in particular.

Jens Zimmer Christensen

Copyright: HOTREC/HORESTA

Besides being the chairman of HOTREC and HORESTA, Jens Zimmermann Christensen is also the hotel manager and owner of the Hotel Maritime in Copenhagen, Denmark and has therefore been directly impacted by the consequences of COVID-19. As HOTREC is the voice of the European hospitality industry, Green Key International has been interested in learning how the association is working together with its members to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and how the COVID-19 pandemic will change the work with sustainability in the European tourism sector.

The HOTREC (European Hotel & Restaurant Association), is the umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Cafes and similar establishments in Europe, bringing together 45 National associations in 33 countries, and representing the hospitality industry at the European level.

Tourism is a key contributor to Europe's economic, social and cultural way of life. According to you, what are the biggest impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall tourism industry?

Most hotels closed down (either because of governmental measures or because they did not have any clients). Hotels that remained open had very few clients (such as nurses, doctors, the army, homeless people or a few business travellers). Most of the restaurants, cafés and bars were closed or only providing take-away or home-delivery services. As a result, there was an estimated loss of 80-90% in the turn-over for the hospitality sector. Some companies reported losses of 100%. Many companies could not survive, even with the State Aid measures applied and needed to close down their business for good. Estimates are still to be seen, but at the moment the European Commission Communication points out a possible loss of six million jobs for the sector in the EU.

For the moment, the sector is slowly starting to welcome back primarily national customers. In general, the hospitality sector hopes that the opening will be done in a coordinated way, whilst of course respecting the epidemiological situation and ability to apply containment and reciprocity measures, based on the principle of non-discrimination.

How do you foresee the situation post-COVID-19 for the hospitality industry?

For the moment it is difficult to predict the future, as we don’t know when a vaccine will be found. Therefore, our message to the EU is to have a coordinated approach, when reopening borders and businesses. Moreover, all companies need to strictly follow the health and safety protocols developed at a national level, for employees and guests to be safe. Nevertheless, we think that the level of consumer trust is now damaged and it will take a long time before it comes back to normal or rather a new normal.

What is the strategy of HOTREC after the pandemic?

In the long run, HOTREC advocates that digitalisation and sustainability should be part of the solution. But for this to happen, the tourism industry must be a priority of the Recovery Package to be approved by the Member States. Moreover, a dedicated budget line on tourism should be included in the Multiannual Financial Framework. The main aim would be to develop products in terms of quality and sustainability; develop a skilled workforce; decrease the carbon footprint, etc.

In your opinion, what will be the place of sustainability in the hospitality industry post-COVID-19?

As mentioned before, in my opinion, sustainability should develop into a fundamental role post-COVID-19. The sector should be established and rebuilt taking into account the principles set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the EU Green Deal. Within these programs, the actions of the hospitality sector will focus on the support and promotion of sustainable practices; the promotion of the use of energy-efficient products and renewable energy sources; the promotion of actions to reduce food waste in the hospitality sector and the promotion of skilled labour through training and career development.

What do you think about the future of environmental/sustainability labels and what role should they play in the aftermath? What would you expect from a label like Green Key?

Ecolabels play a significant role in the European tourism market. Concerning environmental labels in the hospitality sector, HOTREC considers that the Green Key and EU ecolabel are two examples of robust and well-run schemes that should be further promoted by the EU and the sector itself. The EU should find efficient ways to incentivise a positive market reaction from consumers upon the use of such labels by hotels. At the moment, consumers do not yet change their consumption behaviours/choices in favour of hotel services bearing these labels.

Official launch of Green Key in Scotland

Scotland’s tourism and hospitality establishments are encouraged to find out more about how their green recovery plans from COVID-19 might become reality with support from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful through international ecolabel Green Key. 

Copyright: Green Key Scotland

Keep Scotland Beautiful has officially launched the Green Key programme in Scotland and offers a package of support to help Scotland’s tourism and hospitality establishments benefit from year-on-year environmental improvements that can also lead to financial savings. Keep Scotland Beautiful is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people’s lives and the places they care for. Therefore, the charity is committed to making Scotland clean, green and sustainable.

Green Key is proud to continue its leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation now also within the tourism industry in Scotland. Green Key is open to a wide range of establishments including hotels, visitor attractions, conference centres, campsites and restaurants and helps them meet global environmental standards set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and recognised by the UN World Tourism Organisation.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful says;

We are delighted to offer Green Key in Scotland and encourage tourism and hospitality establishments across the country to secure the multiple benefits of a green recovery from COVID-19 by partnering with us through this internationally recognised programme. We have a highly-skilled team of staff available to assist Green Key applicants with both technical support and advice and encourage you to get in touch today to start your sustainability journey.

Lyn Donnelly, Senior Partnerships Manager at VisitScotland adds;

We believe that the success of Scotland’s tourism industry rests on protecting and enhancing the Scottish environment. Our country’s natural beauty and landscapes are a vital part of our offer and hugely important to communities as well as our visitors. As we support the industry with COVID-19 recovery plans, we know there is an opportunity to reset tourism based on a more responsible future.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director at Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) additionally comments;

Green Key is an internationally recognised and respected eco-label for the tourism sector and has been awarded to over 3,200 establishments in 65 countries. We urge tourism establishments to join with Keep Scotland Beautiful through Green Key and use the well-proven framework as a pathway to environmental excellence and sustainable operation.

Find out more about Green Key and the support that Keep Scotland Beautiful offers at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/greenkey.

Copyright: Green Key Scotland

Historic Hotels of Europe and Green Key enter cooperation agreement

Green Key will support Historic Hotels of Europe in its work with sustainability.

Chateau Liblice, Czech Republic

Historic Hotels of Europe is an exclusive collection of independent hotels, castles, palaces, country houses and other properties of historic importance in more than 20 countries across Europe. Each property has been handpicked for its historical ties, exceptional quality and unique past with the aim of giving guests an unforgettable experience. The main purpose of Historic Hotels of Europe is to protect each property’s heritage - preserving and improving them to ensure that travellers from the world over can get to know their amazing stories.

The cooperation agreement with Green Key will give the properties of Historic Hotels of Europe support in ensuring high sustainability standards.

Claudia Buscher, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of Europe, says: “We are delighted to have entered an agreement with Green Key. The hotel industry identifies sustainability as a "new currency" in the competition for guest bookings and image enhancement while it is important for the environment to act and go green. We encourage our unique properties to have their work with sustainability recognised through the Green Key programme of excellence because we believe in their sustainable development goals, like the Global Forest Fund.”

Green Key is the world’s leading sustainability certification programme for the hospitality industry, with more than 3,200 awarded establishments in 65 countries. The Green Key award is based on compliance with a strict set of criteria that are internationally recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Green Key’s application, audit and award process is standardised and includes regular on-site audits and third-party verification of the award.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Director of the Green Key programme, adds: “Sustainability is about connecting Historic Hotels of Europe’s focus on cultural heritage with Green Key’s efforts for environmental management, environmental awareness and social responsibility. We look forward to assisting the properties to achieve the Green Key award.”

Green Key Kenya organises four free webinars under the title “Sustainable Tourism Restart Series”

The four webinars in August-September 2020 is organised to support tourism establishments with practical information on how to integrate sustainable practices in the operations, particularly in light of the current environmental and social challenges, as well as the long term financial benefits from cost savings.

Lorraine Dixon, Green Key National Operator for Kenya says: “The webinars are free of charge and will be 1 hour long with an allowance for extra 30 minutes in-depth Q&A sessions. Although there is content more applicable for Kenyan establishments, there are definitely elements that will cut across and be useful in different countries.”

These are the four webinars:

Session 1: Hygiene and Sustainability – Thursday 20th August 2020 [2.30 – 3.30 pm EAT]

This session will focus on how tourism and hospitality businesses can maintain enhanced hygiene standards through sustainable alternatives, that can help them protect the health of guests, staff and the environment. Our expert for this session is Joanne Hendrickx, the Founder of Travel Without Plastic.

Session 2: Resource Efficiency [covering energy and water management] – Thursday 24th August 2020 [2.30 – 3.30 pm EAT]

This session will focus on how tourism and hospitality businesses can maximise the efficiency of their energy and water use, both in the short term with minimal to no capital investments, as well as the long term with larger investments that tend to give higher returns. I will co-facilitate this session with Eng. James Gathage, a mechanical engineer by training with over 20 years’ experience in resource efficiency in various sectors, including hospitality.

Session 3: Waste Management – Thursday 3rd September 2020 [2.30 – 3.30 pm EAT]

This session will focus on how tourism and hospitality businesses can truly take stock of all their waste streams, and highlight practical measures that can be taken to either reduce, reuse or recycle. This will include aspects of solid waste, wastewater and food waste management.  This session will be co-facilitated by Eng. James Gathage who also has great expertise on waste management in the tourism and hospitality sector, and an expert from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). Their contribution is particularly important in light of various compliance requirements for the hospitality sector, as well as Covid-19 Waste Management Guidelines they have developed.

Session 4: Sustainability Strategy & Policy – Thursday 10th September 2020 [2.30 – 3.30 pm EAT]

This session will focus on how tourism and hospitality businesses can bring all the above components together, as well as other aspects such as community engagement and sustainability communication, more so taking into account the need for crisis management and longer-term thinking in institutionalising sustainability for their businesses. The idea is to get the participants to appreciate a holistic approach to sustainability, having seen the value from the practical aspects, as well as other softer areas, for meaningful change. Our experts for this session are Angela Murugi Njehia and Barbara Schott, co-founders of Tierranjani Africa, both with over 10 years’ experience in tourism operations and development in Africa and abroad.

Green Key partners with Travel Without Plastic to tackle single-use plastics in the hospitality industry

Green Key and Travel Without Plastic are proud to announce a new cooperation agreement aimed at promoting and facilitating plastic reduction without compromising the guest experience or health and safety expectations. 

Travel Without Plastic is a social enterprise that supports hotels and other accommodation businesses with practical, cost-effective solutions to reducing or eliminating single-use plastics from their operations. The initiative was founded in 2017 by Jo Hendrickx and Rachel McCaffery, who have over 40 years of combined experience in the tourism industry - including health and safety auditing, sustainability auditing and implementing quality assurance programmes within hotels.

The “Let’s Reduce Single-Use” toolkit created by the Travel Without Plastic team has helped hundreds of hotels transition towards sustainability. The toolkit contains straightforward guides that clearly explain how hospitality businesses can balance plastic reduction with practical concerns such as cost, customer expectations and health and safety considerations. Travel Without Plastic also offers personalised support, workshops, Litter Pick Kits and an interactive e-learning platform to guide hotels throughout their sustainable journey.

The partnership between Green Key and Travel Without Plastic will boost efforts to reduce and eliminate the use of single-use plastics in the over 3,200 Green Key establishments in 65 countries around the world. Green Key awarded establishments will have the opportunity to access Travel Without Plastic’s toolkit at a discounted rate, and will be invited to engage the initiative’s other online learning materials and training sessions.

Green Key and Travel Without Plastic recognise that, due to health and safety concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the tourism sector’s efforts to phase out single-use plastics. At the same time, they agree that sustainability should not be neglected as tourism establishments re-open, and want to amplify the message that there are sustainable alternatives that comply with the new hygiene standards. To that end, Green Key and Travel Without Plastic will host a joint webinar on how establishments can transition to sustainable plastic alternatives during and after the pandemic.

Please visit the website of Travel Without Plastic for more information: www.travelwithoutplastic.com.

Luxury and sustainability go hand in hand at Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill

Congratulations to Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill in Nairobi, Kenya for receiving the Green Key award for the 5th year in a row! Since the beginning of its operations in 2015, the hotel has shown that luxury and sustainability go hand in hand through numerous efforts in environmentally and socially responsible operations.

Picture ©: Kenyan Organisation for Environmental Education (KOEE)

Water is conserved through the installation of low water flow showers and taps; dual-flush toilets and water-saving sensors in urinals, as well as collecting and using rainwater for cleaning and watering the garden. Radisson Blu has been partnering with Just a Drop – an international water aid charity- to ensure the hotel brand provides a lifetime’s supply of fresh drinking water to 12,000 children per year. Hotel guests are asked to consider re-using their towels during their stay in exchange for a donation to Just a Drop.

The hotel has solar panels in place for heating water and its lighting is 98% LED, resulting in significant savings on energy bills. A beautiful garden and live green walls create an exquisite ambience in a bustling city location. Maintaining an ethical and sustainable supply chain is key to the hotel, with an extensive code of conduct and onsite inspections for suppliers to ensure that they meet high environmental and social standards. More than 90% of the hotel’s waste is recycled - by City Fresh, a Nairobi-based waste collection company – and organic waste is composted and turned into animal feed for local supply.

The hotel is committed to supporting impactful community activities such as improving hygiene in collaboration with Diversey’s “Soap for Hope” program, which reprocesses unfinished soap bars locally into new soap bars, that are donated to local communities with limited access to hygiene and sanitation. There are also long-term sponsorship activities with SOS Children’s Village Nairobi, schools in the neighbourhood around the hotel, and clean ups with Kibondeni College. Participation in the Women for Growth programme supported by Swedfund, has resulted in the development of progressive policies that enable talent growth and increase the representation of women in decision making. Rigorous staff training on Living and Leading Responsible Business has also inculcated a healthy attitude towards environment and sustainability.

Green Key Kenya is proud to be working with a pioneer like Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi, Upper Hill! Learn more about the hotel here.

Green Key promoted in Finland’s new ‘Sustainable Travel Finland’ programme

It is currently essential to include sustainable development in the growth of the tourism industry, to ensure the well-being of present but also future generations. This is why Visit Finland has developed a national programme consisting of a 7-step sustainable tourism development path designed to help establishments and destinations in Finland achieving their sustainable transition.

Photo: Visit Finland

The goal is to help companies and destinations to adopt sustainable practices and make more sustainable choices in their everyday business. The programme adapts the international sustainable tourism programmes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the characteristics of the national territory and to the regional needs. It is a government-funded programme that is free of charge for destinations and companies.

The Sustainable Travel Finland label has been created to gather all the sustainable establishments and destinations in Finland, making it easier for travel trade and travellers to recognise tourism companies and destinations that are highly involved in sustainable development. The label is only awarded to the establishments and destinations that have undergone the entire Sustainable Travel Finland programme and fulfilled the criteria. Once the label has been awarded, regular audits ensure that the establishments and destinations keep working towards the improvement of sustainable standards and confirm the renewal of the label.

As part of the process, companies are required to get certified by one of the 20 Sustainable Travel Finland approved standards and Green Key is proud to be one of them to ensure that tourism accommodations, attractions, restaurants and campsites & holiday parks follow strict environmental criteria. There are currently 118 Green Key awarded sites in Finland and it is an amazing opportunity for Green Key to grow its influence as the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry.

You can access the full article about Sustainable Travel Finland label here.

Werner & Mertz for a sustainable transformation of our post-COVID 19 world

Green Key’s and Blue Flag’s partner Werner & Mertz Professional urges for a stronger focus on sustainability in our post-COVID 19 world and supports their clients in being part of this transformation.

©Werner & Mertz

These days, our society is facing unprecedented challenges – during and after the crisis. Being a producer of sustainable cleaning product solutions, Werner & Mertz’s is one of the companies that had the immediate chance to help stem the pandemic and took this important social responsibility very seriously. Since weeks, the company is prioritising the production of disinfectants and clients that need them most such as hospitals, nursing homes, government agencies of outstanding importance for national security and food retailer.

As people currently clean more frequently and intensively than before, it is even more important to use sustainable and biodegradable detergents without toxic substances thus avoiding further unnecessary burdens for people and the environment. As special emphasis is now placed on the cleaning of surfaces in exterior or public areas. Whether disinfecting certain surfaces outside healthcare facilities is required at all should be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the actual contamination of the surfaces. To support their clients and partners with reopening their businesses with the right cleaning practices, Werner & Mertz developed cleaning & hygiene guidelines for their clients.

German Environmental Award winner and owner of Werner & Mertz, Reinhard Schneider, appealed for a sustainable transformation instead of retro liberalism in post-corona era in a press release published on 3 June. He vouches for a stronger focus on circular economy principles when rebuilding the economy as the long supply chains were particularly prone to disruption during the time of the crisis. Werner & Mertz itself is a front-runner in terms of circularity, with many of their products being certified with the ‘Cradle-to-Cradle’ standard.

Being a family-owned company, Werner & Mertz is also dedicated to the social side of sustainability and gives back to the community wherever they can. In June, the company donated approximately 170 pallets of more than 80,000 sustainable ‘Frosch’ brand household cleaners, dishwashing and laundry detergents to Tafel centers throughout the country, providing the customers of the Tafel with the necessary means to keep their homes clean and safe. The Tafel is a non-profit organisation in Germany supporting people in need with food and other daily supplies.

Green Key’s hotel chain partners to kick-off tourism season with new hygiene protocols

The COVID-19 pandemic has essentially changed the way hygiene is perceived in the hospitality industry. Tourism establishments need to reassure their guests more than ever that that they comply with hygiene requirements and do their utmost to ensure a safe stay and work environment. Green Key’s hotel chain partners have found different ways to do so.

During the current pandemic, all of Green Key’s hotel chain partners - BWH Hotel Group, NH Hotel Group, Radisson Hotel Group and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts - had to adapt their operations to stay open or to prepare for a safe reopening to ensure the safety of both the guests and the staff members. Rigorous health and safety procedures with enhanced protocols have been implemented based on the WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines and on the local and national requirements. These changes lead to a deep transformation of the hotel industry and to the digitalisation of many tasks. In addition to flexible cancellation
policies, the customer experience in the hotels is being redefined and the traditional operational processes such as the check-in, the check-out or the buffet service are being reviewed.

Each hotel chain also implemented its own initiative to respond to the pandemic. For instance Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) expanded its already existing ‘I Care Clean program’ into ‘We Care Clean program’ to ensure an even higher level of cleaning standards and operational best practices at its properties. Based upon guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Health Canada, the ‘We
Care Clean’ program addresses everything from guest room and common area cleanliness, to streamlined processes that minimise contact between guests and associates while maintaining the customer service you expect from a Best Western-branded hotel. The programme addresses five key areas in the hotel: Front desk and lobby, guest room and housekeeping, temporary breakfast offerings, public amenities and hotel employee and staff requirements (Read the full press release here).

NH Hotel Group also partnered with SGS to redefine, adapt and extend their health processes. The new processes, which will include the revision and adaptation of all hygiene and disinfection protocols of the facilities, specific training for employees and control and monitoring of the measures, will be implemented in the hotels so that they are ready to receive their assessment seal as they recover their activity. The first establishment to apply these health standards for it to be monitored will be the Green Key awarded NH Collection Barbizon Palace hotel in Amsterdam. In addition to reinforcing the hygiene and disinfection measures, NH Hotel Group is simultaneously working on redesigning its customer experience with the aim of ensuring that safety and social distancing requirements are met in its facilities. A project in which all the traditional operational processes – such as the check-in, customer service protocols or the buffet concept - are being reviewed, and in which digitalisation will play a major role. Moreover, all members of the company will receive detailed training and preventive medical evaluation controls will be carried out daily for all employees and collaborators upon their arrival at the hotels. (Read the full press release here).

Radisson Hotel Group partnered with SGS, a multinational company which provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services, and announced the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol, a new program of in-depth cleanliness and disinfection procedures. These procedures include hand sanitizing stations at all entrances, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and protective screens, enhanced and recorded cleaning and disinfection frequency, social distancing in all areas of its hotels, including in the Meeting & Event facilities, training in local, Centers for Disease Control, or World Health Organization recommendations and health guidelines, reiteration of food safety standards and comprehensive staff training. In addition, the hotel chain will be introducing an official label of cleanliness and disinfection issued by SGS to ensure the highest cleanliness, hygiene and safety standards of all individual hotels. Under this program, individual hotels can receive an approval label upon completion of a comprehensive local audit including on-site testing using the latest technology. (Read the full press release here).

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have provided their independently owned and operated franchised hotels and their managed and owned properties worldwide with guidelines and safety information provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing how to identify COVID-19 symptoms and mitigate its transmission. Furthermore, they have partnered with third parties, including Ecolab which is also a partner of Green Key, and other suppliers to provide their hotels with cleaning and disinfecting supplies and have made training available for their franchisees as well as their owned hotels to achieve the highest standards of cleanliness, disinfection and hygiene (Read the full press release here)