BERLIN, Germany, 7 March 2024: The World Travel & Tourism Council’s Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics), a global initiative helping hoteliers take the first steps to improve their sustainability ratings, has verified over 1,700 hotels in 70 countries worldwide.
In her speech at ITB Berlin earlier this week, WTTC president & CEO Julia Simpson celebrated the achievement and highlighted the industry’s commitment to a more sustainable future.
Basics is key to making hotels more sustainable and giving the public an at-glance verification.
Hotels groups from major Travel & Tourism destinations such as France, China, Mexico, India, Germany, South Africa, Philippines, and Norway, amongst many others, have joined the groundbreaking initiative.
Major hotel brands that have adopted ‘Basics’ include Jin Jiang, one of the world’s biggest hotel groups with more than 10,000 hotels, European hotel giant Louvre Hotel Group, Choice Hotels, and Radisson Hotel Group.
During its inaugural year, Hotel Sustainability Basics also gained endorsements from destinations worldwide, including the Caribbean, Mauritius, Colombia, UAE, Azerbaijan, Mexico, and Ecuador.
Other major Travel & Tourism brands joining the initiative include adventure travel specialist Intrepid, British Airways Holidays, HBX Group, WebBeds and Abercrombie & Kent.
This independent global sustainability verification programme, overseen by internationally recognised verifiers Green Key and SGS, empowers hotels of all sizes to follow a 12-step programme to reduce carbon emissions, promote nature conservation, and ensure local communities benefit from the hotel’s operations.
Simpson said: “Our goal is to have a globally recognised trademark that shows customers, at a glance, that a hotel is supporting the planet by saving energy, cutting plastics, protecting nature, and supporting their local community. It is a win-win.”
