Over the past several years, the expectations and desire for more sustainable and responsible travel have been gaining momentum. In fact, 73% of travelers now consider environmentally sustainable practices as a deciding factor when booking travel accommodations*. At the same time, the industry-wide response is expanding, with responsible actions from key players such as the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a consortium of engaged hospitality companies working collectively to address major sustainability challenges. "At Accor, we believe that it is our role to drive change for a more sustainable future of travel, both together with other industry leaders, and with the Group leading the way for a sustainable transformation across our activities and brands."
"Hospitality is at the crossroads of many activities and sustainability is multifaceted, encompassing a wide range of areas, including the impact of the food we prepare and consume, how we travel and the way we live our lives. With this in mind, we work to deliver impactful, innovative solutions and client experiences to address the key environmental and social challenges we face, and each of our brands plays a crucial role. Discover how four of our brands bring our sustainability commitments to life, each one with initiatives in line with their identity."
Pioneering circular hospitality: greet
When the first greet hotels opened their doors in 2019, travelers discovered a world of alternative hospitality, guided by the ethos of reduce, reuse, recycle. From the outset, greet hotels were designed with a circular mindset. Whether it’s turning unsold, “ugly” fruits into smoothies, banning single-use plastics, sourcing secondhand furniture or reused or recycled materials, everything gets a second lease on life at greet.
The brand’s community-based hotels also host repair workshops and resale events, donate unused food products, and source food locally or from short food supply chains to reduce carbon emissions. With 21 existing greet hotels and 24 more in the pipeline, this concept is certainly taking off.
Rooted in its local communities and natural ecosystems: Fairmont
Fairmont, the world’s first luxury hotel brand to truly embrace environmental stewardship, celebrated the 30th anniversary of its award-winning Fairmont Sustainability Partnership in 2021. The brand’s commitment to sustainability is rooted in its dedication to the local communities where it operates.
The Bee Sustainable program, for example, seeks to contribute to and protect the biodiversity around Fairmont properties by creating more than 40 apiaries and wild bee hotels in 20 properties around the world. Meanwhile, among various partnerships with local farms and communities, the Fairmont Mayakoba in Mexico joined forces with the Oceanus AC charity to protect the Mesoamerican Reef౼home to more than 500 aquatic species.
On the social front, the brand further stepped up its two-decade partnership with the Make-A-Wish foundation to positively impact the lives of Wish children and their families. This year, Fairmont launched its first global-scale program, Wishes Start Here, granting 500 Wishes worldwide and aspiring to raise €1 million over three years through corporate grants and fundraising activities with Fairmont guests and Heartists.
100% Green Globe certified: Mövenpick
At Accor, we recognize the value of attaining environmental certifications and seeking out partnerships with accredited experts. Globally-recognized sustainable tourism benchmarks are key points of reference for our clients and assure them of our commitment to the planet, people and local communities.
Today, every single Mövenpick hotel proudly bears the Green Globe certification ౼ with more than 75% earning gold or platinum status after being certified for five or 10 years. This is no small feat, considering that properties must meet 44 social and sustainability criteria to be certified.
In an effort to reduce food waste, just one of the many criteria, the Mövenpick Hotel Zürich Regensdorf partnered with the Too Good to Go app, which turns unserved food into discounted meals. Meanwhile, the Mӧvenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives checked another box with the launch of its soil-free hydroponics farm and garden. The resort drastically shortened its supply chain and now produces nearly 70 kilos of fresh backyard produce every month.
Championing conservation and eco-tourism: Mantis
A growing number of tourists are opting to spend their time off surrounded by nature, contributing to conservation efforts and straying off the beaten path. Perfectly aligned with this growing trend, the Mantis hotel group ౼ short for ‘Man And Nature Together Is Sustainable’ ౼ operates on the principles of conservation and respect for the environment.
With its eco-lodges, curated hotels and strategic partnerships with local players across Africa, Mantis leads the industry in eco-tourism and local expertise. In 2018, Accor joined forces with Mantis to create the Community Conservation Fund Africa (CCFA). The fund trains and collaborates with local communities to help protect Africa's wildlife and wildlands while strengthening our commitment to sustainable development and sustainable tourism. Varied and far-reaching initiatives include a rhino conservation project at South Africa’s Mantis Founders Lodge to protect animals from illegal poaching as well as Community Development projects, such as borehole funding to provide water for local communities and training locals to become tour guides.
* Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2021
Tags: Accor, greet hotels, Mövenpick, Fairmont, Mantis hotel group
