Green Key establishment, Sani Resort, publishes their Environmental, Social and Governance Report

The Sani Resort continuous its tireless work to minimise its environmental footprint, by dedicating their work to the protection of local biodiversity, supporting the local community, and setting a triple Zero Goal: net zero of carbon emissions by 2030 zero single-use plastic and produce zero waste by 2024. In 2020, it therefore became the first certified carbon neutral resort in Greece running in 100% renewable electricity

As part of the Sani/Ikos hotel group, the Sani Resort is encompassing five hotels spread across a 1,000-acre ecological reserve on the Kassandra Peninsula. It is surrounded by seven kilometres of Blue Flag beaches, 20km of forest trails and 270 acres of wetlands, encouraging guests to reconnect with nature within a sustainable mini self-contained world.

In 2020, Sani Resort became the first certified carbon neutral resort in Greece running in 100% renewable energy and was recently awarded as the World’s Leading Luxury Green Resort at the World Travel Awards for the second year in a row. From its commitment to the local community, to its dedication to biodiversity and its efforts to operate sustainably, Sani works tirelessly to minimise its environmental footprint. With sustainability at heart, in 2008, Sani Resort has launched “Sani Green”, a programme focusing on improving the sustainability performance of the resort, from energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources to water conservation and sustainable procurement. Each Sani Green initiative is supported by well-defined policies and measurable targets, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Therefore, the resort is powered by 100% renewable electricity, energy consumption has been reduced by 3% in 2019, water consumption per guest has been reduced by 48% since 2016, and 2,000,000kg of materials have been recycled in the last five years, with a recycling performance of 290,000kg planned for 2021.Furthermore,the Sani Resort has set a triple Zero Goal; net zero of carbon emissions by 2030, zero plastic and produce zero waste by 2024. As a result, the Sani/Ikos group has already banned the EU single-use plastic list. Furthermore, electric car charging stations with are offered within the resort, and all club cars are electric. In addition, Sani is reducing food waste via AI technology and launching its first zero waste restaurant, the Tomata restaurant at the Sani Marina.

The pollinator hotel of the Sani Resort

Over 60% of Sani’s products come from within 100miles of the resort, with in-resort botanical gardens supporting the farm-to-table approach of its restaurants. Sani’s food and wine range, Land of Grace, produced exclusively by local artisans, is available to taste or purchase-all profits donated to local food banks for vulnerable communities. Guests immerse in nature through guided eco-activities like Sani Wetlands, birdwatching, forest walk, beekeeping, olive harvesting and day farm trips. Home to 225 bird species (total 456 species found in Greece), the complimentary birdwatching tours in Sani Wetlands have seen a 680% increase in participation since 2013.

The Sani Resort furthermore actively works on the protection of the local biodiversity. Together with the not-for profit organisation, Bee Camp, the Sani Resort just launched the largest Bee Spot in Greece, to give shelter to pollinators and host educational activities about the importance of bees in the local eco-system. Adults and kids have the chance to have an eco-trip to the bee spot and learn more about the importance of the pollinators in the local eco-system. In addition, Sani teamed up with ISea to monitor the resident dolphin population and create the first catalogue of cetaceans in Halkidiki. Teenagers and kids participate in educational activities about the rich biodiversity in the Greek seas and the human interaction. Finally, Sani supports further biodiversity projects, such as the Sani Wetlands Project and tree-planting, as well as encourages local farmers to farm more sustainably.

On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, Eleni Andreadis, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility explains;

"For more than 50 years, Sani Resort has placed sustainability at the center of its activities. We have been recipients and supporters of the Green Key award since its early days. Our cooperation has helped us build and develop our commitment to sustainability as a vital part of our philosophy in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals that serve as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable hospitality industry in Greece."

The hotel group’s recently published Environmental, Social and Governance Report 2021, which summarises all their environmental and social sustainability actions in greater detail, can be downloaded here. For more information about the Sani Resort in general, please visit their website, by clicking here.

Sani Resort Properties

Sani Resort Natural Reserve

Sani Resort Rooms

Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt keeps setting high standards in environmental and social sustainability

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt has again been certified with the Green Key. With that achievement, the hotel has now been part of the programme for the seventh year in a row!

The Radisson Blu Hotel Alexandria

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria has entered the hospitality market with a well-thought-out strategy to meet the needs of a variety of target groups while maintaining high standards of environmental and social sustainability. This includes continuously reducing the energy and water consumption of its guests while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria is part of the Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands and more than 1,700 hotels in operation or under development in 120 countries. The group's overarching brand promise is "Every Moment Matters" with a signature service ethos of "Yes I Can!".

After opening its doors in 2010, the owners of the establishment have worked hard to achieve the Green Key certificate for the first time in the year 2015. Since then, the establishments efforts to go the extra mile for our environment has not stopped, which is why they now achieved to be certified with the Green Key for the seventh year in a row.

Sustainable development has therefore been part of the hotel’s strategy since the beginning. As a result, the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria regularly joins different activities focusing on environmental or social sustainability. For example, in the past years, the hotel joined hundreds of cities around the world that turned off their lights for one hour during the international Earth Hour to show that global warming can be reduced by joint efforts of individuals, companies, and politicians. In 2022, the Radisson BLU Alexandria furthermore organised a bike day for their team members to promote the use of sustainable means of transportation amongst the staff.

On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, the General Manager of the establishment explains;

“We are passionate about helping others, and that extends beyond the boundaries of our hotel. We believe in acting ethically in everything we do and strive to be a thriving, sustainable and responsible business for people, the community and our planet.

Our team members live Responsible Business every day alongside their hotel colleagues and in their local communities, where we work to create a better future and a better planet for all.”

Please visit the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria’s website to learn more about the establishment.

Green Key International and Reza Hygiene enter collaboration agreement

The new Green Key corporate partner Reza Hygiene specialises in a high-quality range of products and services, which can be used by the hospitality sector. Their main products include food and beverage processing, ambient scenting, catering, fine dining, and fabric care.

Credits: Cottonbro (Pexels)

With almost 25 years of experience in providing hygiene and cleaning solutions for all industries, Reza Hygiene is a company with a strong regional heritage in Saudi Arabia that takes a highly responsible approach to chemical production. In line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims for a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation, Reza Hygiene has also strengthened its sustainable commitment through several international accreditations. In addition, the company has invested in a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that produces more than 40,000 tones of hygiene chemical products per year under license from leading international partners.

Furthermore, Reza Hygiene has pioneered the use of effective green chemical machinery and products in the housekeeping sectors, some of which include LEED accreditation. As part of its commitment to a more sustainable future, Reza Hygiene favors local and regional manufacturers whenever possible, as well as more natural bio-based and less harmful raw material substitutes. In addition, all products used by the Saudi Arabian company are packaged with locally sourced, recyclable materials. The packaging waste is then separated, returned and recycled by Reza Hygiene.

Finally, the enterprise has also been focusing on reducing its energy consumption through implementing long-lasting LED lights in all its facilities, as well as solar-heated water systems and solar-powered lighting.

The company's cooperation agreement with Green Key International aims to inform about the services and products Reza Hygiene can offer to the hospitality industry in the Middle East, but also to raise awareness about the Green Key certification programme in the Kingdom. Green Key International recognizes Reza Hygiene's high quality services and products for hotels, hostels and restaurants, covering areas such as food and beverage processing, room fragrancing, catering and fine dining, and textile care. About the partnership with Reza Hygiene, the Green Key International Director Finn Bolding Thomsen says:

"Green Key International is happy to enter a collaboration agreement with Reza Hygiene to increase the sustainability in the hospitality sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East.”

Please visit our partner’s website to learn more about the services and products offered by Reza Hygiene.

Resorts in Mauritius receive the Green Key certification for the first time

Four of the idyllic Veranda Resorts (Pointe aux Biches, Paul & Virginie, Palmar Beach, and Tamarin Hotel) have now joined the Green Key network of certified establishments. The resorts are part of the Rogers Hospitality group, that has also ownership over two Heritage Resorts units, in Maldives, that have been receiving the Green Key label since 2017.

The Veranda Tamarin unit is one of the newly certified Green Key establishments in Mauritius.

The Rogers Hospitality group has taken even more significant steps towards a more sustainable hospitality sector in Mauritius. After successfully renewing the Green Key certification for two of its Heritage Resorts units (Le Telfair and Awali) since 2017, the hospitality group decided it was time for another of its hotel brands to comply with the high environmental standards set by Green Key International.

For the first time, four out of the five units of the beautiful Veranda Resorts have entered the Green Key network of certified establishments, namely the Veranda Pointe aux Biches, Veranda Paul & Virginie, Veranda Palmar Beach and Veranda Tamarin Hotel. On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, the Sustainable Development Coordinator of Veranda Resorts Pooja Etwah has said:

"[…]I am truly proud of our first Green Key certification. Upon the recruitment of full-time sustainability officers in all our resorts, there has been a smooth implementation, follow-up and engagement across all our hotels in undertaking sustainability principles to a higher level. Our teams are committed to protecting the environment through best practices and innovative measures and including the local community and guests in all activities related to sustainable development.[…] By embarking on the Green Key program, we are sure to be following strong international standards as well as provide our stakeholders with a high level of transparency and credibility in our actions. […]".'

According to the Veranda Resorts' Sustainable Development Coordinator, following the Green Key criteria has allowed the hotels’ teams to develop and revise their operational procedures. In addition, extra training has been provided to the Veranda staff to raise awareness on the importance of integrating environmental and social factors into operations. 

Sustainable development has been embedded in Rogers's Hospitality DNA for several years. The hotel's strategy has focused on five pillars: energy transition, biodiversity preservation and restoration, a circular economy model for better waste management, inclusive development and vibrant communities. For each of its pillars, the Veranda Resorts have adopted specific measures. For example, in the energy transition pillar, staff is asked to verify whether new electronic equipment is energy-efficient before proceeding with the purchase. Moreover, there is regular monitoring of the lighting systems at the resorts to ensure that all LED lamps are correctly functioning and that external lighting is only used when necessary. 

Guests are also involved in the different Veranda Resorts strategies targeting sustainability. For example, visitors at the Veranda Pointe aux Biches unit are invited to switch off their room lights for 1 hour to help reduce energy consumption. In all resorts, the visitors are also encouraged to enjoy nature activities, including sea activities, bike-riding or visits to natural parks.

Waste management is also essential to the Veranda resorts' sustainable programme. Each hotel's team is responsible for sorting all waste before sending it to recycling stations. In addition, the concerns about waste management are also transmitted to the younger generations of visitors through upcycling workshops offered at the resorts' kids clubs. More recently, the Veranda resorts have committed to work towards eliminating single-use guest-related plastic items from operations, such as wet bathroom amenities, that have now been placed in recyclable and reusable containers.  

Finally, the Green Key-certified Veranda resorts also work closely with the local community in Mauritius. Donations and healthy food are distributed among vulnerable families, and literacy classes are also offered to the hotels' staff. In addition, the hotels make sure to include local seasonal food in their menus and support local businesses. 

Green Key International congratulates the four certified Veranda Resorts for their incredible strategy and initiatives that target the reduction of environmental impact while helping to promote more literacy and knowledge on sustainable tourism development in Mauritius. 

Green Key's partner helps to reduce single-use bottled water from international hotel chain

Green Key’s corporate partner Purezza Premium Water has signed a global partnership agreement with one of the world-leading hotel groups in hospitality, Accor, which wishes to adopt more sustainable water consumption solutions.

The hospitality industry historically has had a dramatic impact on the environment, which has led to many hotel groups adopting sustainable practices and aligning them with their operations. One of the most effective actions that hotel groups can take is to reduce their consumption of single-use materials and products, such as plastic bottles.

As a global provider of freshly dispensed drinking water solutions that has direct supply and distribution in more than 60 countries, Green Key’s corporate partner, Purezza Premium Water, has played an important role in helping tourism businesses to adopt more sustainable water dispensing solutions, as well as reusable bottles. By making simple choices regarding guests’ and staff’s water consumption, hotels can reduce their negative impacts on the environment and save on delivery costs.

With over 5,000 hotels around the world, Accor is one of those hotel groups that have built a strategy around sustainability to include initiatives which aim to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. A top priority for Accor is to remove single-use packaging from its hotels and this includes single-use bottled water. The hotel’s chain has now chosen Green Key’s partner Purezza Premium Water as a preferred global supplier to assist them in removing single-use bottled water from the supply chains of their hotels.

Purezza provides water dispensers, which filter tap water, as well as reusable, glass branded bottles, in still and sparkling variants. By switching to this alternative solution, a hotel can remove hundreds of thousands of single-use plastic water bottles from all areas of their hotel operations every year!

Scott Mitchell, Global Head of Purezza Premium Water, says: “We are pleased to be partnering with Accor and supporting them in their sustainability initiatives. Our shared goals of eliminating single-use packaging and reducing waste complements our strategic partnership.”

As consumers continue to actively select their accommodation based on the sustainability practices and performance of the properties, it is essential for hotels to build a strategy around sustainability and partner with sustainability-minded suppliers.

To learn more about Purezza Premium Water solutions, visit their website here.

Mandarin Oriental Doha renews its sustainability commitments

Once again, the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel Doha in Qatar, continues to maintain its sustainable commitments by renewing the Green Key certification.

Designed by the world-renowned David Collins Studio, the Mandarin Oriental Doha is a beautiful and luxurious hotel with 117 rooms, 41 suites and 91 serviced apartments located in the centre of Msheireb Downtown, Doha. The hotel joined the Green Key programme in 2020 and thereby became one of the more than 3,500 tourist accommodations worldwide that commit to following a set of environmental principles. These high sustainability standards expected of Green Key establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits.

This year, the Mandarin Oriental Doha has once again solidified its commitment to a more sustainable hospitality industry by renewing the Green Key certificate. About this accomplishment, the General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Martin Schnider states:

“We are delighted to sustain the Green Key Certificate for 2022 as we contribute towards doing more for a sustainable future. We aspire to engage all our stakeholders, from guests and colleagues to partners, in our relentless pursuit of sustainability and hospitality excellence”.

Some of the Mandarin Oriental Doha’s efforts towards reducing its environmental impact have focused on eliminating all single-use plastic within the hotel. For this purpose, an on-site water filtration system has been used to replace and reduce plastic consumption by up to 80,000 bottles annually. In addition, the hotel has switched to more sustainable options regarding disposable food containers and amenities, for example by introducing solid beauty products in the guest rooms and spa area.

Adequate energy and water management are also carefully considered in Mandarin Oriental Doha. The Green Key-certified establishment has 29 solar panels that provide more than 80% of hot water used by guests. Moreover, the hotel uses the rainwater captured from its rooftop and the water condensation from the air conditioning in guests’ washrooms and other bathrooms.

Finally, great attention has also been given to the protection of biodiversity within the region. The Mandarin Oriental Doha recognises the extreme importance of bees as natural pollinators and has, therefore, partnered with beekeepers from a Qatari apiary to harvest honey that is sold at the hotel.

About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, the Group now operates 36 hotels and seven residences in 24 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s oriental heritage and unique sense of place. Mandarin Oriental has a strong pipeline of hotels and residences under development and is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

Green Key featured in FEE's annual report of 2021

Every year, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) shares the main highlights and decisions from the organisation and its network in the annual FEE report. Amongst others, the report includes various achievements from FEE’s five programmes. Therefore, milestones and other important highlights of the Green Key programme are also displayed in the report.

After a challenging 2020 for the tourism industry, with many hospitality businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, at the beginning of the year 2021, the Green Key programme was busier than ever. As part of its COVID-19 strategy and to assist its members during this difficult time, the Green Key programme extended the certifications from establishments affected by the pandemic. In addition, Green Key recognised the efforts of accommodations that were able to comply with the strict set of criteria, and therefore received the certificate despite the circumstances in 2020.

In 2021, the Green Key programme also achieved other milestones, such as:

• Welcoming two new countries to its network, Madagascar and Trinidad & Tobago, which are now also amongst the countries having Green Key certified establishments;

• Establishing and renewing cooperation agreements with enterprises that work closely with hotels and other accommodations worldwide. One of these partnerships was signed with Beirholm, a company that produces environmentally friendly textiles. In addition, Green Key also prolonged its collaboration with Drinkable Air, which works with Atmospheric Water Generators technology to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles;

• Being represented at COP 26 in Glasgow;

• Being highlighted as a robust example of a sustainable tourism scheme by the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés (HOTREC) in its publication Towards sustainable Tourism in Europe (2020);

• Launching its first course on FEE Academy, which inspired the development of a training project for a hospitality school in Cambodia;

• Revising its criteria. Green Key’s new standards for 2022-2025 have been recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and can be found here.
  

  To read more about Green Key’s highlights of 2021 featured in the FEE annual report click here.
  

Green Key signs collaboration agreement with TripDoodler

Green Key International and the green-tech platform TripDoodler are joining synergies to empower conscious and curious tourists to make more sustainable travel decisions.

Credits: Magical Pond - https://www.magicalpond.com/en/

TripDoodler and Green Key recognise the increasing global interest of consumers in environmental certifications and how transparent and accessible information plays a crucial role in shaping the tourism and hospitality sector. That being so, there exists a need to invite travellers to become an active part of the solution. 

As part of this collaboration, travellers can now locate the Green Key certified establishments through the visual presentation of the Green Key logo on the TripDoodler platform. This new feature allows all certified establishments, including hotels, restaurants, or smaller accommodations, to claim their business on the TripDoodler app and get acknowledged by the travellers for their sustainability practices.

The sustainability practices integrated on the TripDoodler platform go beyond carbon emissions and enable travellers to rate up to 40 easily visible parameters of environmental, social-cultural, and economic sustainable tourism. As part of the rating process, the tourists are asked different questions such as “Does the hotel provide recycling bins?”, “Is the establishment run by female-led management?” or “Does the restaurant use local produce?”. To find the full list of parameters, visit TripDoodler’s Beta App here.  
 
The Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, and the CEO of TripDoodler, Josephine Piplits, highlight the importance of this collaboration:  

“With Green Key being a leading standard for environmental and sustainable operations within the tourism industry, we are happy to enter a partnership with TripDoodler to help support consumers on their decisions about sustainability and travel. Through this collaboration, travellers can now easily find Green Key certified accommodations on the TripDoodler platform, and certified establishments can benefit from accessing data on how customers perceive their sustainable actions". 
                                                       - Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director 

“We are very excited to partner with Green Key and work closely together on translating all the great initiatives that are implemented throughout our industry into a language that every traveller can relate to and make new better decisions based on.”  

- Josephine Piplits, Founder & CEO, TripDoodler 

About TripDoodler 

TripDoodler is an online platform that empowers travellers to easily find, acknowledge, and share verified sustainable travel options, powered by a crowd-sourced certification. With a vision to make sustainable choices the easiest choice, TripDoodler aims to create the world’s largest searchable database of better travel choices, led by first-hand insights from globetrotters across the world. These insights further provide managerial comprehensions to the tourism establishments on how the travellers perceive their sustainable practices. Guided by the 2030 Agenda, TripDoodler offers an easy, independent, and trustworthy solution for travellers and businesses to assist them on their sustainability journeys.  

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.