Accor and Green Key sign collaboration agreement

The collaboration agreement between Accor and Green Key for 2022-2026 will have Accor hotels implementing their sustainable development initiatives through two preferred certification programmes globally, including Green Key.

© Accor

Accor is one of the largest global hotel chains, with over 5,400 hotels across 40+ brands in over 110 countries at present.

Accor has been committed to sustainable development for many years. With new goals set in 2020, the Group has decided to go a step further in its sustainability transformation, aiming for all its hotels to receive an external sustainability certification before the end of 2026.

Due to Green Key’s established expertise across environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, the programme has been chosen by Accor as one of two preferred certification programmes to cover all regions globally (except USA and Canada, where Green Key is not offered).

 Brune Poirson, Chief Sustainability Officer at Accor said:

I am very proud of the collaboration agreement between Accor and Green Key, which now has Accor hotels implementing their sustainable development initiatives through two preferred certification programs globally. It indicates Accor’s commitment to responsible hospitality and will help increase external recognition of our sustainability practices amongst all stakeholders in the industry.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, added:

“We are proud to be chosen by Accor as a preferred certification partner. With our large network of National Operators, we are looking forward to having the opportunity to support Accor with its sustainability ambitions and seeing many Accor hotels globally displaying the Green Key.”

About Accor:

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5 400 properties, 10 000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry’s most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 40 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion.  Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit www.group.accor.com or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

© Accor

About Green Key:

Coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Green Key is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 4,200 hotels and other establishments in 60+ countries and is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The high environmental standards expected of Green Key establishments are maintained through a strict set of criteria, rigorous documentation and frequent audits. Green Key is eligible for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants and attractions.

For more information, please visit www.greenkey.global or contact us through finn@fee.global.

 

Rising popularity of sustainable accommodations highlighted in Booking.Com Report

Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report 2023 includes insights into sustainable travel choices from more than 33,000 travelers across 35 countries and territories. Particularly interesting for Green Key, are their results on the growing popularity of sustainable accommodation providers.  

© Villa Resorts

Every year, the Booking.com report sheds light on the evolving landscape of sustainable travel and highlights the increasing demand for eco-friendly experiences among travelers worldwide. As sustainability continues to be a driving force in the tourism industry, the findings of the report provide valuable insights into the preferences and motivations of conscious travelers. Over the eight years that the international booking platform has conducted this research, sustainability continues to be at the forefront for travelers.  

For example, 74% of respondents believe that people need to act now and make more sustainable choices to save the planet for future generations. This marks a substantial increase compared to previous years (66% in 2022), indicating a continuous shift in consumer behavior towards more responsible and environmentally friendly travel options.  

Particularly interesting for Green Key seems to be the trends connected to sustainable and/or eco-certified accommodations. The report highlights the growing popularity of eco-accommodations among travelers, as 65% of respondents confirmed that they would feel better about staying in a particular accommodation if they knew it had a sustainable certification or label. In addition, 59% would like to filter their accommodation options for those with a sustainable certification next time they book. Furthermore, travelers are actively seeking accommodations that prioritise sustainable practices, such as energy-efficient infrastructure, recycling programs, and locally sourced amenities. 

As economic conditions have changed significantly over the past year, the report also highlights a dilemma where travelers feel forced to choose between cost savings and more sustainable travel choices. 49% believe sustainable travel options are too expensive, which represents an 11% increase from 2022 data. Travelling sustainably therefore becomes secondary when worrying about bills and the energy crisis. Despite these developments 43% of respondents also claimed that they would be willing to pay more for sustainable travel options. 

While the desire for sustainable travel is strong, it also becomes apparent from the report that the lack of knowledge about sustainable travel options is among the challenges preventing some travelers from engaging in more sustainable travel experiences. The news and social media continue to be the top two sources of learning about sustainability for 43% of respondents. Aligned with the results of the report, and Booking.com's mission to make sustainable travel choices easier for everyone, the company is increasingly displaying sustainable accommodations around the world. Already now, travelers can find Green Key certified accommodations and information about their sustainable actions on Booking.com.

In case you are a Green Key certified establishment that would like to claim your listing on Booking.com, please contact us via chiara@fee.global. 

To conclude, the Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2023 shows a significant global shift towards sustainable travel, with most travelers expressing a desire for more eco-friendly options. As conscious travel becomes the norm, both travelers and industry players have a shared responsibility to prioritise sustainable practices and create a positive impact on the environment, so that

“sustainable travel becomes the norm, and not the exception (Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com).”  

To read the full Booking.com report click here. 

 

Regent Porto Montenegro demonstrates strong commitment to local community support

Since its establishment in 2014, the Regent Porto Montenegro has dedicated itself to upholding sustainable practices while actively supporting the local community and preserving Montenegro's cultural heritage and way of life through cuisine, interior design, and communication campaigns. For their inspiring sustainability practices, the hotel has now been certified with Green Key.  

© Regent Porto Montenegro

Demonstrating their unwavering commitment to sustainability, the Regent Porto Montenegro offers internships to local students, to actively support the training and education of youth within the region. Besides that, it also organises a Winter Ball fundraising to help associations in need and sponsor the local sports clubs. With these activities, the establishment directly or indirectly contributes to the social sustainability of their enterprise by focusing their efforts on the needs of their community.  

Moreover, the hotel proudly stood as one of the sponsors of the first Western Balkan ESG Summit, an influential regional event focused on environmental, social, and governance issues that took place in April 2023. The summit served as a platform for political leaders, government officials, industry experts, and investors to engage in interactive discussions on critical ESG themes such as sustainable finance, green transition and innovation, fostering awareness and promoting responsible business practices in the region. The conference gathered 450 participants from 150 regional companies.  

The Regent Porto Montenegro is also one of the hosts of the much-awaited Regent Christmas Market, an event that provides Montenegrin artists with an opportunity to promote their art and crafts. 

©Regent Porto Montenegro

Kai Dieckmann, the General Manager of Regent Porto Montenegro, says:  

"We take pride in maintaining our green footprint and striving for sustainable practices while prioritising the well-being of our staff and community. Through these efforts, we make a positive impact on the environment and create a better world for present and future generations. For us, this is truly the 'key' that shows that we invest in our team and that we lead the company in a very sustainable way.” 

What sets the Regent Porto Montenegro apart is its team of green ambassadors, who not only uphold existing sustainability practices, but also bring new ideas and ambitions to make a difference. The staff members therefore actively engage with the municipality of Tivat to:

• facilitate the collection of recycled waste, participate in community actions such as beach and park clean-ups,

• utilise green areas around the hotel to plant aromatic plants, and

• promote responsible behaviour to guests through messages in guestrooms focusing on recycling, energy, and water conservation, as well as smart towel and linen changing policies. 

 Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director adds:  

“We warmly welcome Regent Porto Montenegro to our global network of certified establishments, as their dedication to preserving Montenegro’s heritage and implementing sustainable actions sets a great example for the tourism industry.” 

 For more information about Regent Porto Montenegro click here.

 

LionsDive Beach Resort supports Environmental Education through Guest Bookings

The LionsDive Beach Resort sets an inspiring example for the hospitality industry by wholeheartedly embracing sustainability in its operations. From energy conservation and waste reduction to championing environmental preservation, the resort's dedication to sustainability is evident at every turn.

© LionsDive Beach Resort

The LionsDive Beach Resort is dedicated to promoting sustainability in every aspect of its operations, from reducing energy and water consumption to minimising waste and protecting the natural environment. The resort has implemented a range of sustainable practices, including using renewable energy sources, recycling, reducing plastic waste, and supporting local communities. One of the most popular initiatives is providing the guests with a reusable souvenir water bottle to promote drinking tap water and eliminate the use of plastic water bottles.

Working together with renowned sustainable companies such as Pack for a Purpose and GreenKidz enables LionsDive and its guests to help support the local community. LionsDive donates $1 per night booked via the website to GreenKidz who then uses these funds to create educational material about sustainability for school children. Pack for a Purpose is an initiative that allows travelers to make a lasting impact in the community by taking necessary supplies in their luggage for the chosen projects.

© LionsDive Beach Resort

The team of the LionsDive are thrilled to receive the Green Key eco-certificate, as it is a testament to the ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and responsible tourism.

General Manager, Mimi Luttge explains:

“At the LionsDive Beach Resort, we believe that tourism can only survive in a world that is environmentally, economically, and socially responsible. We are committed to playing our part in creating a more sustainable future.”

The International Green Key Coordinator, Claudia Bogensperger adds:

“For us at Green Key International, it is a great pleasure to read about the many amazing best practice examples connected to social or environmental sustainability from our certified establishments. The team of the LionsDive Beach Resort has done an incredible job implementing unique ways in their resort to go the extra mile for our planet, and we are proud to welcome them to our network.”

For more information about LionsDive Beach Resort click here.

 

Green Key signs a collaboration agreement with Ethik & Trips

Green Key International and Ethik & Trips started a collaboration to support a holistic approach to sustainable tourism.

© Ethik & Trips

About Ethik & Trips

Ethik & Trips is more than a website referencing sustainable accommodations all around the world, it is a collaborative platform whose vocation is to make tourism sustainable on an environmental, economic, and social sphere. With a strong desire to re-establish human contact with short circuits and reconnect people through real and authentic trips, each accommodation page on Ethik & Trips redirects the guests to the official accommodation website, removing any intermediaries between traveler and host and limiting the number of clicks from website to final booking. The sense of community and the taste for travel storytelling is encouraged by Ethik & Trips, which strongly believes in the power of collaboration and co-creation of the touristic experience. On the website each traveler can write reviews for the community, suggest any address that is worth sharing, or, on the contrary, report on flaws in the sustainable approach of the establishments.

The wide range of establishments on Ethik & Trips is concretely taking action toward sustainability and, in some cases, joining certification programmes. In France, Europe and all around the world: travelers can locate the Green Key certified establishments through the visual representation of the Green Key logo on the Ethik & Trips website.

Green Key supports Ethik & Trips efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of business travels. By creating a tailor-made offer for business events and seminars, the Ethik & Trips team helps companies to take more responsible choices: from the location to the means of transport, the collective activities and the menu.

© Ethik & Trips

Ethik & Trips and Green Key recognise that one of the main challenges for companies is to make CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) at the core of their strategy and actions. The challenge is even bigger when it comes to rethinking business trips organisation to make it more sustainable. Whether corporate social responsibility is fully part of company business model or only an objective, Ethik & Trips thinks and builds company events in a new way to make it more ecologic and sustainable. Their approach aims at involving all company co-workers and inviting them to consider and assess their individual and collective impact, changing their approach to travel in favor of sustainability.

Green Key International Coordinator, Chiara Cottone, says:

“We are happy to start a cooperation agreement with Ethik & Trips as we share the same holistic vision about sustainable tourism. This partnership gives us the possibility to raise awareness about the complexity of the tourism industry and shed light on the essential relationship between environmental, social, and economic sustainability, a relationship that is the core of the paths undertaken by our certified establishments.”

For more information about Ethik & Trips click here.

 

The Green Key certified Embassy Valletta Hotel has strengthened its sustainability efforts

The Embassy Valletta Hotel, which opened in Malta's capital in 2020, has earned its reputation for providing exceptional customer service while retaining sustainability as one of its key pillars. To keep their standards at the highest level, the hotel therefore regularly innovates in a variety of sustainability-related areas.

© The Embassy Valletta Hotel

About their sustainability initiatives, Hubert Debono, the General Manager of the hotel says:

“Since the opening of The Embassy Valletta Hotel in 2020, we wanted to ensure that sustainability forms part of our core values. We are dedicated to helping the environment and integrating a corporate responsibility program that sees in its foreground sustainability and support towards our community. We believe that through our actions we can positively impact people's lives. It is our mission to continuously seek new ways in which we can contribute towards this cause.”

With a beautiful location in the heart of the city, the Embassy Valletta Hotel is designed to address the needs of the discerning guest, whether travelling alone or in a group, for business or leisure. The hotel offers eighty-one spacious and comfortable rooms, an in-house cinema, fitness and spa area, a meeting and conference area, an elegant courtyard bar, a rooftop restaurant, and an outdoor infinity pool boasting spectacular views over Valletta and beyond.

© The Embassy Valletta Hotel

During the last year, the Embassy Valletta Hotel has significantly decreased the need of printed customer documents by introducing a hotel app where guests can find relevant information about their offers and services, historic sites, events, and recommended restaurants. The app also enables the guests to communicate with the guest relation’s team via a direct chat. Furthermore, all hotel rooms have a TV system providing the same type of information, and thereby eliminating the need for paper flyers.

Other initiatives taken by The Embassy Valletta hotel to preserve the environment and adhere to Green Key criteria focus on four main areas and include:

• Energy Management: To save energy, the air-conditioning in all rooms stops working automatically once any windows in the guest rooms are opened. In addition, all room lights switch off within ten seconds of removing the key card from the control switch.

• Waste Management: To minimise single-use plastics, the bathroom amenities by L’Occitane are provided in refillable bottles. The complimentary water offered to guests is filtered on site to avoid the use of plastic water bottles and at the same time decrease the carbon footprint of the hotel. The waste bins in the Embassy Valletta Hotel are furthermore provided with separators to recycle waste more efficiently.

• Water Management: To reduce water and energy use, the hotel actively encourages its guests to re-use their towels and has furthermore introduced a new towel and sheet washing saving measure.

• Social Sustainability and Education: The hotel frequently organises extensive trainings to all employees to make sure that everyone aligns with the establishment’s values when it comes to protecting the environment. The Embassy Valletta hotel also closely collaborates with different NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) and other enterprises within the community such as the Valletta Soup Kitchen, by providing free meals, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, an organisation dedicated to the study and preservation of Malta’s cultural heritage, and the M'Xett Regatta club, a popular and traditional boat racing club which performs twice a year in the Grand Harbour and involves various youth in this sport and local tradition.

 The International Green Key Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, would like to

“congratulate The Embassy Valetta Hotel for becoming Green Key certified and for its                 commitment to sustainable development and environmental responsibility.”

For more information about the Embassy Valletta Hotel, please click here.

 

The Royal Riviera Hotel, Qatar receives the Green Key Certificate

The Royal Riviera Hotel, a 4-Star city hotel located in the heart of Doha, receives the Green Key certificate. The establishment has shown an incredible dedication to putting environmentally friendly, sustainable solutions into practice.

© The Royal Riviera Hotel

Mr. Essam Ragheb Kortam, The Royal Riviera Hotels’ General Manager shares his thoughts on the importance of sustainable development and the Green Key certification for the establishment:

“At The Royal Riviera hotel, we are aware of the necessity to transform our hotel into a greener, more sustainable place. We have implemented Green Key’s mandatory and a variety of their recommended environmental criteria around the property. Our team is working hard to encourage our guests to reduce, reuse and recycle by providing information in all guest rooms and public areas such as information on the TV screen. In addition, we make sure to mainly use reusable items in our establishment, such as cloth napkins, and silver wear for our food and beverage services. If we need to provide our guests with single-use items, we ensure that these are produced out of sustainable and recyclable materials, such as our paper cups.”

In addition to that, the Royal Riviera hotel has implemented several sustainable practices to reduce its environmental impact such as:

• Water efficient fixtures to monitor water consumption and reduce the water wastage.

• Development of a system to reuse the wastewater from Air-Conditioning for the fountain, floor, wash and watering the hotel plants.

• Tracking and monitoring energy consumption to reduce its environmental footprint.

• Using eco-labelled fixtures and appliances.

• Reducing waste by the implementation of dust bins for recycling paper, plastic, metal, food) in guest rooms and public areas.

• Reducing food waste by the implementation of a new plan that should improve food storage. Furthermore, leftovers are donated to charity organisations.

• Promoting well-being by providing healthy food options in the buffet area and a la Cart menu.

• Improved indoor air quality by frequently monitoring the air quality index.

• Focus on the cooperation with suppliers of local products and materials.

• Awareness raising actions such as providing guest information about the sustainability initiatives of the establishment and the Green Key program at the front desk, the rooms, the public area and on the website.

 Mr. Essam Ragheb Kortam adds:

“Our goal is to contribute to building a more sustainable world for all. For this, we have created an incentive program to encourage our staff to participate and improve our environmentally friendly practices. Creating a more sustainable environment is very important to us and we continue to work on this daily.”

© The Royal Riviera Hotel

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Director of Green Key International says:

“The Green Key certification of the Royal Riviera Hotel in Doha can be seen as a confirmation of the team’s efforts in fostering a more sustainable future.”

The Royal Riviera hotel is the eight hotel in the Qatar to be certified with Green Key, and their commitment to the implementation of the Green Key criteria is, therefore, another important step towards more sustainability in the country. An increasing amount of certified establishments in any country can be seen as essential development towards more sustainability in the tourism industry, as it gives travelers the option to choose staying in an environmentally friendly accommodation during their holidays.

Learn more about the hotel here.

 

Green Key certified hotels can be listed with their sustainability attributes in the Green Travel Index database

Together with the German Travel Association DRV, and a travel industry software specialist, Green Key’s partner, Green Travel Index, has developed a tool with more than 150 attributes for sustainable travel. The Green Travel Index database should therefore help the industry in making socially and environmentally friendly travel offers more comparable.

© Green Travel Index

The Green Travel Index (GTI) is the first global B2B platform to position sustainable content in the mainstream tourism distribution channels. As a neutral, independent and non-bookable platform, GTI delivers information from registered, sustainably certified companies to the travel chain with the goal to not only make touristic products more visible and easily accessible but also to raise consumer awareness and facilitate bookings.

All Green Key members can are automatically listed in the Green Travel Index (GTI) because of the established partnership between GTI and Green Key.

 Elke Brosin the GTI Program Director says:

“Now is the perfect time for Green Key members to claim their listing in the GTI database and make use of those newly integrated attribute fields. That way, they do not only become more visible to the distribution channels but also become a more active part of the GTI database.”

To claim a listing, Green Key members go to the GTI website under https://greentravelindex.com, register as a SUPPLIER, find their entry through the filter function and then choose the button „claim listing“. 

For further information on the newly integrated sustainable attributes, read more here.

To read more about how to claim a listing, please contact info@greentravelindex.com.

 

Green Key is proud to announce the launch of the Hotel Sustainability Basics

“Thousands of hotels, destinations and OTAs support Hotel Sustainability Basics.”

“Inaugural partners include destinations, major international hotel groups and tourist resorts.”

“Research shows that almost all hotels are aware of their responsibility to the planet”

© WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched the Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin, Germany.

With Green Key as one of the main verifiers, Basics will enable tourist accommodation providers from around the world, regardless of their size, to begin their sustainability journey.

Basics, an industry-backed scheme, is a globally recognised set of criteria that all hotels should implement as a minimum to drive responsible and sustainable travel and tourism.

Basics focuses on an achievable starting point and it is meant to encourage all accommodation providers to begin their sustainability journeys and meet the fundamental standards required of our sector.

Made up of 12 key criteria, the Basics is accessible to all hotels to implement. Green Key recognizes the importance of Basics as a stepping-stone to more advanced sustainability schemes, such as the Green Key programme, and achieve greater sustainability across the industry.

Basics has also been recognised by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as the starting point for a net positive industry, who announced the latest version of the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality.

Verification Scheme

In order to ensure the validity of the programme, WTTC partnered with Green Key and SGS to develop a simple online verification system to allow hotels to provide evidence and ensure they are following the Basics.

The verification scheme enables hotels and other tourist accommodation to be officially verified for meeting eight of the 12 criteria in the first year and demonstrate their commitment to working toward all 12 of the criteria by year three.

Together, the criteria ensure the sector is eco resilient and adaptive to the changing needs of the planet.

Hotel Partners

Six major international hotel groups, collectively representing tens of thousands of sites from around the world have now joined Basics as inaugural partners. The first hotel groups include well-known brands such as Accor, Jin Jiang International, Louvre Hotels Group, Meliá Hotels International, Meininger, and Radisson Hotel Group.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said “We are incredibly proud to launch our Hotel Sustainability Basics and its verification scheme. The initiative is a response to the sector’s need for a baseline for hotels and other tourist lodgings to introduce the exacting sustainability standards.

“Our research shows that most business owners are aware of their responsibility to the environment but need a step-by-step guide that is scientifically verifiable.

“It is testament to the need for such a scheme that already thousands of hotel properties from around the world have committed to implement Basics, and from today can begin the verification process.”

Inge Huijbrechts, Global Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Security & Corporate Communications at Radisson Hotel Group said “Hotel Sustainability Basics is filling a new and unanswered demand in the hotel industry: to provide a solid, trusted, and clear label for essential hotel sustainability. It’s important we define responsible travel to preserve the planet and protect communities. With Hotel Sustainability Basics we offer the traveller a clear sustainable stay option for all types of hotels around the world.

“Radisson Hotel Group commits to implement Hotel Sustainability Basics in all its 1,100 hotels by 2025. We do this together with our shareholder Jin Jiang International, their affiliate Louvre Hotel Group and other major hotel groups and destinations around the world.”

Green Lodgings Trend Report

WTTC carried out an extensive international benchmarking exercise through the Green Lodgings Trends Report, learning from 27,000 accommodation providers on how they are currently fairing against the 12 criteria.

Crucially, this benchmark will allow WTTC to track the progress of Basics over time.

Almost 100% of accommodation providers implement at least one initiative to reduce inequality and 96% have adopted linen reuse programmes.

The report also showed many hoteliers are establishing sustainable practices but there is still a way to go for these to become common across the sector.

Two-thirds of those surveyed have already begun to eliminate the use of certain single-use plastics such as straws and implementing other waste reduction initiatives.

Emerging practices were also highlighted in the report.

Almost half of respondents have replaced small plastic toiletry bottles with bulk dispensers and a third now provide vegetarian options for every course in their food and beverage provision.

 

Find more about the verification process at Green Key — Sustainability Basics Verification Scheme

Learn more about Hotel Sustainability Basics at wttc.org