WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics program concludes 2023 with remarkable success

Thursday, December 14, 2023

The Hotel Sustainability Basics program by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is concluding its inaugural year on a high note, with over 1,300 hotels verified across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Hotel Sustainability Basics is an independent global sustainability verification program overseen by internationally recognized verifiers, Green Key and SGS. Its primary goal is to guide hotels of all sizes through a 12-step program aimed at reducing carbon emissions, preserving and promoting natural environments, and ensuring local communities benefit from the presence of the hotel.

This program is designed to be achievable for all hotels as a minimum standard and serves as a foundational step towards more intricate sustainability initiatives. In its first year, Hotel Sustainability Basics gained endorsement from destinations worldwide, including the Caribbean, Mauritius, Colombia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Mexico, and Ecuador.

Notably, major hotel brands such as Jin Jiang, the world’s second-largest hotel group with over 10,000 hotels, European hotel giant Louvre Hotel Group, and Radisson Hotel Group have also embraced the ‘Basics.’ Additional prominent brands, including adventure travel specialist Intrepid, British Airways Holidays, HotelBeds, WebBeds, and Abercrombie & Kent, have joined the initiative.

Collectively, these developments underscore a global commitment within the hospitality industry to sustainable Travel & Tourism. The WTTC anticipates that thousands more hotels from various corners of the world will adopt Hotel Sustainability Basics in the coming year.

An important milestone is the recent partnership between WTTC and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which solidifies a clear path in the journey toward sustainability in the hospitality sector. This collaboration will establish a structured framework from the Basics to advanced global standards for hotel sustainability.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, commented, “Basics is a global program aimed at assisting hotels in reducing emissions, supporting local communities, and protecting nature. Launched just last year, it is the only independent scheme that empowers hotels to assess their environmental impact. The adoption of Basics is growing steadily, with entire countries committed to making tangible, enduring changes. As we look to the future, our focus remains on strengthening these efforts to bring us closer to a unified vision of sustainability in hospitality. Hotel Sustainability Basics has gained momentum in its first year, and we expect thousands more properties to embrace the initiative in 2024.”

Satu Rouhiainen, Sustainability Manager at British Airways Holidays, expressed their support for the Hotel Sustainability Basics program, stating, “Collaboration with our industry and value chain partners is crucial to British Airways Holidays. We are pleased to support Hotel Sustainability Basics, providing our hotel partners with a fair and industry-recognized framework to begin their sustainability journey. This not only enables us to monitor hotels’ progress but also allows our customers to easily identify hotels committed to advancing sustainability.”

WTTC remains dedicated to spearheading sustainable Travel & Tourism initiatives, fostering partnerships, and setting new sustainability standards. The global tourism body is committed to ensuring a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable future for the Travel & Tourism sector.

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