Green oasis to handle stress during pandemic

The employees of the Fiesta Inn Monterrey Fundidora in México found an innovative way to fight the stress and negative influence of the pandemic on their well-being by creating their own, personal oasis on the rooftop of the hotel.

Photo: © Fiesta Inn Monterrey Fundidora Mexico Hotel.

The pandemic does not only hit the hospitality industry economically, but also has negative effects on the mental health and well-being of the employees within the sector.

One of the hotels that proactively worked on increasing the emotional well-being of their employees is the Fiesta Inn Monterrey Fundidora, México by Grupo Posadas. Within the hotel group, work-related stress of their staff seemed to increase during the pandemic. This stress often appeared due to social distance regulations and constantly having to wear a mask during working hours, amongst others. As a result, the management and employees of the hotels started to brainstorm about possibilities to counteract the decreasing physical and emotional well-being of the team.

One of the staff members contributed to the innovative idea of installing a rooftop garden and relaxation area on the 7th floor of the hotel. All other employees were immediately excited about it and started to come up with different possibilities for their individual contributions. As a result, the employees of the hotel, which is situated in the city of Monterrey, started to collectively work on the creation of the beautiful oasis.

The management was able to observe that all the employees designed the garden with lots of love and hope and with the prospect of being able to welcome back the hotel's guests to a beautiful garden that can then also be enjoyed by them. Besides the sense of ownership and team-spirit that has been generated through the collective construction of the garden, planting new green areas and gardening are additionally beneficial to handling stress during difficult times.

To ensure the sustainability of the area, the flower boxes, the furniture and all other necessary equipment have been built from recycled materials and the area is lit through the use of LED lighting. The towel basket has, for example, been made out of an old vacuum cleaner. In addition, guests are able to enjoy a wonderful view of the eastern Sierra Madre while sitting down in a wooden swing.  Finally, all the herbs and fruits that are harvested in the garden are used to flavour different dishes in the kitchen of the hotel.

In addition to the rooftop garden, the Hotel Group has designed a series of security measures, approved by safety experts. These are to ensure that their guests, employees and suppliers can continue to enjoy their various hotels without the need of having to worry about the risks of infection with the COVID-19 virus.

Towel basket from an old vacuum cleaner.

Decoration with recycled materials for the reopening of the establishment.

Information and hands sanitiser in front of the entrance the establishment.

Staff harvests peppermint to flavor food in the kitchen.

Wooden swing and LED lighting

Pegasus partners with Green Key on sustainability programme

Green Key supports hotels in Pegasus portfolio with tools and resources for sustainability certification

Green Key awarded Hotel Kong Arthur in Copenhagen (Denmark)

Pegasus, a leading global provider of hotel reservations and e-commerce solutions and one of the world’s most experienced hotel representation services, today announced a new partnership with Green Key, the world’s leading sustainability certification programme for the hospitality industry. The new partnership will provide hotels in the Pegasus portfolio with access to personal support as well as tools and resources for sustainability certification.

The partnership with Green Key is a part of a broader initiative within Pegasus to encourage and promote sustainable practices within hotels, particularly boutique and independent hotels, and help certified properties to better market themselves to corporate clients. 

“Sustainability has become a top-selling point and priority for many corporate travel buyers, and we are seeing increased interest from corporations looking specifically to contract with sustainable properties through chainwide agreements,” says Alex Ryll, Director of Global Corporate Sales at Pegasus. “Our partnership with Green Key will give hotels access to important resources and best practices in their journey to reduce their environmental footprint, as well as a way to certify the property with internationally recognized standards.” 

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. Green Key was initiated in 1994 and is managed by the international charity, the Foundation for Environmental Education, and its national member organisations. Currently, more than 3,200 tourism establishments across 65 countries hold a Green Key certification. 

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Director of the Green Key programme, says, “We are very pleased to work closely together with Pegasus and share our experiences in support of the work with sustainability at Pegasus, both at the central level as well as among interested member hotels in the Pegasus portfolio.” 

Pegasus and Green Key have kicked off their collaboration with a series of content targeted to hotels interested in taking the first steps to sustainability certification. Green Key has authored a guest article “A Primer on Hotel Sustainability Certification” for Pegasus and recently participated in the webinar “Hotel Sustainability in the Age of COVID-19” together with representatives from Innovation Lighthouse and Hotel Kong Arthur, a Green Key awarded hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. For additional information on Green Key, visit www.greenkey.global.

About Pegasus

Pegasus is the world's most experienced hotel representation service providing a specialized range of powerful sales, marketing, and distribution solutions for hotels. Pegasus is chosen by more than 3,000 independent hotels, small groups and Private Label chains in more than 130 countries, and comprises an extensive and diverse international portfolio that includes luxury, boutique, value, business and resort properties for both business and leisure travellers. 

Pegasus offers an unrivalled combination of more than 80 years' experience representing hotels by delivering first-class demand-generating solutions. These include preferred travel agent and online partnership agreements, a range of worldwide marketing programs, leading-edge Internet booking engine solutions, comprehensive business intelligence reporting capabilities and award-winning hotel website marketing. The Pegasus hotel portfolio is booked by thousands of travel agencies, travel providers and businesses worldwide, including major global travel management companies such as American Express and CWT, corporations, online distributors, and consortia groups. Visit www.pegs.com for more information.

Sustainability gives better financial results and more loyal customers

Introducing smaller plates in the restaurant, dialogue with the guests concerning environmental issues and investment in a new water system are some of the many sustainability initiatives that have brought Guldsmeden Hotels into the “sustainability super league”.

Photo: © Guldsmeden Hotels

Guldsmeden Hotels have worked with sustainability ever since they opened their first hotel in Aarhus (Denmark) around 20 years ago. In the beginning, the main focus was on organic food, and since 2005, almost all ingredients on the breakfast menu are organic. At the same time, the group increased its focus on other sustainable choices, for example, buying renewable energy. Since 2010, Guldsmeden has furthermore focused on the communication about sustainability to its guests through its participation in different certification programmes. The Guldsmeden Hotels in Denmark have had the Green Key certification since 2017. For the group, it was important to have Green Key as a partner to discuss sustainability issues and to receive external recognition for their efforts.

Photo: © Guldsmeden Hotels

Today, sustainability is the main focus in all areas of the groups business operations. For example, the hotels are very active in minimising their waste. They reduce their food waste by using smaller plates and by using leftover food from the breakfast to make, for example, paninis for lunch or for creating muesli. The guests are involved in their work through messages such as “Love Food, Hate Waste” and “Take all you can eat. Eat all that you take” or by competitions, where guests can win a reward for creating the least food waste.

Kirsten Aggersborg, Sustainability Director at Guldsmeden Hotels, says;

We measure the food waste from the production in the kitchen and the plates of the guests. Involving our guests has made a big difference in our efforts to reducing food waste. This is good for the environment, but it is also good for our financial result as we have been able to reduce our purchases by 15 per cent.

Furthermore, Guldsmeden Hotels are ensuring that their furniture and textiles are durable and made from natural materials. The bed linen, for example, is made from organic cotton or reused polyester. In addition, the hotels have been part of a pilot test for a new advanced shower system that reuses 90% of the water and saves energy through an intelligent water circle system. Kirsten Aggersborg explains that it was a bit more expensive to change to this shower system. However, the return on investment was only a few years.

 Besides, Guldsmeden Hotels have their own personal care product line, called “iLoveEcoEssentials”, with bottles that are refillable and products that do not contain microplastic. The products are also available for purchase at the reception and even online. In fact, the guests appreciate the personal care products so much that the external sales cover the costs for the products in the guest rooms.

Kirsten Aggersborg explains,

The work with sustainability has also affected Guldsmeden Hotels in regards to guest loyalty. First of all, we have differentiated ourselves by working with sustainability on all levels. This includes the dialogue with the guests on sustainability issues, which makes unique in comparison to many other hotels. We can see that this has resulted in guest loyalty, where many guests return to us due to our direct relationship with them.

Photo: © Guldsmeden Hotels

For other hotels wishing to work with sustainability, Kirsten Aggersborg has the following recommendations:

Find a certification scheme, such as Green Key, and use them as a partner in the development of the work with sustainability. Start by evaluating all the various small elements in your business, where you can potentially make a difference. Stay curious and use the opportunities arising to achieve new knowledge and develop new products that fit your establishment.

There are seven Guldsmeden Hotels in Denmark, and the group also has hotels in Iceland, Norway, Germany, France and Bali (Indonesia). For more information about Guldsmeden Hotels, please visit www.guldsmedenhotels.com.

Preserving biodiversity through innovative beehives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Green Key establishments all over the world have been facing unprecedented times. Despite the challenges connected to this crisis, many of them also managed to innovate their products and services in order to embrace sustainability in their daily operations and do something positive for our planet.

Photo: © Hidrodoe

One of these establishments is the water park Hidrodoe in Herentals, Belgium. Through their actions of reducing the use of energy and water, sorting waste, preferring environmentally friendly products, honouring the nature and informing and sensitising visitors, Hidrodoe has already been awarded with the Green Key for the tenth time in the row. One of their most significant contributions to a more sustainable tourism industry is their educational programme. Through workshops and experiments, visitors of the attraction learn about biological water quality, the production of drinking water and the water cycle, make water walks and get useful tips on how to use the precious water in a sustainable way. Through these activities, the establishment thereby contributes to the reduction of the visitors' water footprint. In addition, it encourages the guests to learn about the importance of water for life on earth and promotes the drinking of tap water.

Besides the educational activities in relation to water, the establishment has since the beginning of April added three hundred thousand extra employees. By the installation of six beehives, located at the water production centre of the water company Pidpa next to Hidrodoe, the centre added approximately 50,000 bees and one queen per hive to their team. With these hives, Hidrodoe, therefore, contributes to saving bees and preserving biodiversity. This is particularly important as the world's bee population is declining dramatically, mainly due to climate change, pesticides, habitat loss and diseases.

Therefore, the establishment took the opportunity to rethink the purpose of an unused area and developed it into something beneficial for the environment. The beautiful blue and yellow colours of the hives are particularly designed for the attraction of bees, and the installed flower meadows aim to provide additional food for the bees.

The most important element of this innovation is that we help the bees! The delicious honey that is produced by our little helpers is a fantastic added value, and we are happy that we can share this add-on with our visitors by selling the honey in our shop,

says Hilde De Laet, the manager of Hidrodoe.

Belgian Hotel changed its entire cleaning products to green alternatives

For already almost ten years, the family hotel Soll Cress has dedicated all their efforts into going one step further for the environment. To continue this sustainable trail, the owners have now decided to change their entire cleaning products to environmentally friendly alternatives.

Photo: © Hotel Soll Cress

The family hotel Soll Cress, located on the Belgian coast is situated approximately 100 meters away from the beach and 800 meters away from the city centre of Koksijde. It is an ideal place to welcome guests all year round, as the hotel offers a wide variety of services for its guests applicable for the warmer and colder seasons. Hence, it is equipped with an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, Jacuzzi, fitness- and wellness centre and a gastronomic restaurant. This restaurant is called “Roots Koksijde” and has recently been completely redesigned to serve the needs of its guests. Within the restaurant, a choice of organic wines is provided and dishes with locally sourced ingredients are served.

After 45 years of being successfully administrated by the Van Damme family, it was time for a generation change within the management of the hotel. The daughters of the former owners, Hannelore and Sofie took over the management, convinced to go a step further for the environment beyond the local requirements in regards to environmental protection. Therefore, already since the year 2011, the hotel has obtained the Green Key certificate. This means that the hotel reduces energy consumption, minimises waste, offers charging stations for electronic bicycles and an E-Smart, and it uses biodegradable napkins and recycled toilet paper for their guests.

In addition to that, Hannelore and Sofie have now decided to replace the entire cleaning product range with Green Care products. Through organised testing sessions with these products, the hotel owners found out that the results of cleaning with Green Care products were equal or better than before. That’s why Hannelore and Sofie chose to prospectively use the Green Care brand for sanitising the hotel, the rooms, the restaurant and the new KLIKS system for the laundry.

The fact that these products are C²C certified, thereby certified with a well-known ecolabel, means that they are composed of European raw materials, boxed in recycled packaging and produced with renewable energy. By introducing these products, savings in CO² emissions are realised, the use of crude oils is excluded and pollution with microplastics is avoided. Furthermore, the packaging of these products can almost indefinitely be recycled.

The Hotel Soll Cress is an example of how the hotel industry can contribute to the environment with simple measures. Something, that has become a mandatory criterion for hotel guests booking a holiday.  

Free Online Course: How to reduce plastic and keep guest’s safe

During the pandemic, single-use plastics had a big comeback in the tourism industry, as they are seen as a means to assure safety and hygiene. Although the safety of guests and staff is, of course, the first priority, it does not need to come at the cost of the environment. To tackle this issue, our partner, Travel Without Plastic has created GreenerGuest, a website offering free courses about how to reduce plastic and keep guest’s safe.

Photo: © Greener Guest

GreenerGuest is a website, created by Travel Without Plastic that offers various tools, tips and online courses, designed to help businesses in the reduction or elimination of unnecessary single-use plastic. In addition, the website provides a wide range of suggestions for sustainable alternatives. To ensure a sufficient set of substitutes, GreenerGuest selected all these suppliers based on their commitments to social and environmental responsibility.

One of the courses offered by GreenerGuest is “how to reduce plastic and keep guests safe”. As time can sometimes be very limited within the tourism industry, the experts from Travel Without Plastic have created an easy yet holistic online course with six individual sections. The structure of the course allows the participants to take the course in their own pace and focus on those topics that are of special interest to the individual establishment. The website will keep track of their process, to make sure that all elements of the course are covered. The online course thereby facilitates the process for businesses to decrease or eliminate single-use plastic to sustainable alternatives.

Besides a general introduction on the issue of single-use plastics in connection to the COVID-19 crisis, the sections covered within the course are; Process Over Products, Putting New Processes in Place, Reducing Plastic Safely, Safe & Environmentally Friendly Disposal and Communication. Within these modules, each participant will learn principles of infection, the health impacts of single-use plastics, practical tips for the different departments in a hotel, the implementation of new processes, the safe reduction of plastic, disposal of contaminated waste, the communication procedures with guests and staff, amongst others.

When finishing the course, each participant will receive a completion certificate, which should serve as evidence for external auditors that may ask about staff training in sustainability and waste management. In addition, the course content will remain active for participants of the course to be able to refresh the memory at a later point.

Click here, to sign up for the online course.

In addition to the online course, Green Key International has hosted a webinar together with Travel Without Plastic and the Innovation Lighthouse on the 14th of October 2020. This webinar can now be re-watched under the following link.

Strengthening the Tobago tourism sector through Green Key

On the 28th and 30th of July 2020, the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd. (TTAL) officially launched the Tobago Green Key programme in partnership with Green Trinidad & Tobago. The launch happened through the virtual engagement of approximately forty owners and managers of small and large tourism accommodation facilities in Tobago.  

Photo: © Green T&T

The Green Key award, as a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, currently comprises over 3200 Green Key sites globally. A heavy concentration of these establishments also lies within Tobago’s key source markets, being the United Kingdom and Europe in general. The decision taken by the TTAL to encourage local tourism establishments in Tobago to be Green Key certified is a strategic one given the global demand for eco-friendlier tourism. It, therefore, signals strong commitment and action to raising the quality standards of establishments in Tobago as well as the overall international appeal of the destination.

Narendra Ramgulam, Director Tourism Product Development & Destination Management at the TTAL states;

Green Key is critically important to ensure that we develop and encourage low carbon footprint products for our destination. This not only gives us an attractive appeal in the eyes of our eco-seeking global customers, mainly coming from the United Kingdom and Germany, but it additionally raises the standard and quality of sustainable products on the island of Tobago and enhances development that is in sync with our image and brand. Both, the Green Key and Blue Flag certificate, an award for beaches, tourism boats and marinas, will give us a competitive advantage over our competitors. Our stakeholders have shown an interest in engaging in the Green Key programme, not only due to its competitive advantage but because they believe that it is the right thing to do from an environmental perspective and an important step for the future of the industry in Tobago.

By being part of Green Key, tourism business owners represent a commitment that their establishments adhere to the strict international criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). At the same time, by staying at Green Key awarded properties, tourists can make a difference in regards to sustainability and environmental protection. Green T&T, a local environmental non-governmental organisation, acts as the national operator on behalf of FEE in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) for the coordination of both, the Green Key and Blue Flag program. Through education and certification of establishments, Green T&T is dedicated to increasing the overall environmental awareness and consciousness in the region.

Tenisha Brown-Williams, Green Key Coordinator at Green T&T believes that particularly through the COVID-19 crisis, those destinations that commit and follow through with solid environmental practices will gain competitive advantages. This appears as travellers are now more conscious of how safety, sanitation and ecological practices will aid in preserving their well-being. Tenisha Brown Williams adds to this notion;

The Green Key certification can boost Tobago’s visibility and appeal on the international market to the ‘green traveller’ who will visit Tobago’s pristine and unique environment and act responsibly.

The Green Key programme is currently open to the following categories within the hospitality and tourism sector in Tobago: Hotels, Hostels and Small Accommodations, and will later include Attractions, Restaurants and Conference Centres. For further information about how to attain the prestigious Green Key award in Tobago, please visit Green T&T or Visit Tobago, contact the TTAL at +868 612 8825 ext. 2005 or send an E-Mail to kcowie@tobagotourism.org or greenkey@green-tt.org.  

In Brazil, the post-pandemic tourism bet is on sustainability

Hotel owners in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, united to transform their establishments into best practice examples of sustainable development.

The owners of Baía do João EcoPousada, Karl and Rita, with the Green Key sign.
Photo: © Baía do João EcoPousada

In the past months, the COVID-19 pandemic has subjected the hotel industry in Brazil to almost complete shutdown. But in Armação dos Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, owners of hotels and pousadas have used the idle period to come together for a good cause; to promote sustainability.

Led by Baía do João EcoPousada, the first establishment in Brazil certified with the Green Key label, and by three establishments, which have applied for the Green Key label; Pousada Abracadabra, Eco Villa Beija Flor and Villa Balthazar; the working party additionally consists of eleven Pousadas and hotels. By following European models of environmental conservation, this task group has been formed to plan and execute actions for better use and preservation of natural resources in the region. Felix Broden, General Manager of Abracadabra, noted;

We believe that having a group of hotels working together, enables us to aim at executing bigger projects such as getting the attention of the city to institute a recycling program or sharing daily tips about where to find ecological cleaning supplies.

The internationally well-known eco-label Green Key requires multiple criteria, which must be maintained and evaluated in subsequent inspections to be awarded. Therefore, one of the intersecting elements of the working party aims to adapt processes, such as waste management, cleaning, food, energy saving, water reuse, and other requirements necessary to achieve the award. The sense of community that provoked through the task group reached even other hotels in Búzios, who voluntarily agreed to cooperate with recycling actions, beach cleanups and by using ecologically safe products in their establishments, revealing the strength awakened by collective engagement.

The group's efforts reached Búzios Secretariat for the Environment, which now not only supports their initiatives but has actively worked together with them. Hence, the first recycling plant in Baía Formosa has been licenced by them, and they are actively bidding for the approval of the Environment City Council to be able to carry out its daily collection.

The interest in environmentally conscious establishments is proving to be a growing priority amongst the most diverse audiences of tourists. In Brazil, the debate about sustainable development has just started. However, it is more important than ever, considering the country's wealth of natural resources and biodiversity. It is expected that the new initiatives implemented in Búzios will not only attract more local and international guests but additionally invite more consciously travelling tourists to the region. Hence, and an audience that is more concerned with reducing their environmental footprint and taking care of the environment they travel to.

For more information, please contact:

Green Key Brazil
gkbrasil@greenkey.org.br
comunicacao@iarbrasil.org.br
+55 (47) 99947-0267

Baía do João EcoPousada with the Green Key flag raised. Photo: © Patrick Dias

Pousada Abracadabra. Photo: © Disclosure

Pousada Villa Balthazar. Photo: © Stefano Aguiar

Pousada Eco Vila Beija-Flor. Photo: © Vinicius Perrone

Green Key declares a climate emergency

Green Key joins other leaders in the tourism industry to call for urgent action on the climate crisis through the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative.

Eddie Ramirez, owner of the Green Key awarded Casa Sol B&B in Puerto Rico, has equipped his roof with solar panels to reduce the establishment’s carbon footprint and weather power outages caused by hurricanes. Read more. Photo: ©Marie Fazio

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According the UNWTO, there has been a 56-fold increase in international tourism since 1950. As more and more people set out to explore the world, they leave behind a larger and larger carbon footprint. Based on scholarly research published in the Nature Climate Change journal, tourism was responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.

As a major player in the world economy, the tourism industry has the opportunity to play a significant role in the fight against climate change. Sustainable travel is becoming more sought after, as travellers recognise the need to balance their wanderlust with environmental responsibility. The trend is expected to continue as the world begins to open back up to travel; we have learned the hard way that humans need to be more thoughtful about how our actions affect the planet.

Green Key has been promoting sustainability in the hospitality industry since 1994, and our global network has expanded along with the travel industry. As we have welcomed new countries and regions to the Green Key network, we have gotten an intimate glimpse at how climate change is already beginning to affect the planet. From destructive hurricanes in the Caribbean, to prolonged drought in South Africa and intense wildfires in Australia, some of the most popular Green Key destinations in the world are facing serious threats from climate change.

As a leading eco label for hospitality and tourism establishments in 65 countries around the world, it is Green Key’s responsibility to do what we can to take action on climate change. That is why we are proud to join over 100 other tourism organisations in the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative. As a signatory of Tourism Declares, we commit to the following five actions:

• Within the next year, we will develop and implement a ‘Climate Emergency Plan’. As part of our own strategic goals for the coming decade, Green Key has already begun to develop an action plan to scale-up climate action through the programme, including more thorough carbon emissions criteria for Green Key awarded establishments.

• We will publicly share this climate emergency declaration and keep our network updated about progress towards our goals.

• We accept the current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions by 55% below 2017 levels by 2030, in order to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial warming levels. We will develop our Climate Emergency Plan with actions that work towards this goal.

• We will work together with our network to encourage others to sign the climate emergency declaration, share best practices and actively participate in efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the tourism industry.

• We will advocate for change. We recognise the need for system change across the tourism industry, and we will continue to grow our voice in the global dialogue about climate change to advocate for urgent climate action.

Please consider joining the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency movement to add your voice to the call for climate action. Together we can harness the power of the tourism industry to create real and lasting positive change and protect the future of our planet!