Hospitality has been among the sectors hit hardest by COVID-19 shutdowns. But with travel beginning to return in parts of the world, many hotels are springing back to life.
The agenda for recovery cannot simply be about getting ‘back to normal,’ though. The travel market has changed—permanently. Leisure and business travellers alike have new priorities and needs. In both segments, sustainability is a bigger priority than ever before, especially but not only when it comes to carbon emissions.
The benefits for hospitality are clear: aligning with consumers’ values and desire to be able to travel sustainably; winning back business travellers as corporates bear down on their carbon emissions; capitalizing on the growing willingness of consumers to pay a little more for sustainability; and playing its part in the global effort to limit temperature rises and avoid catastrophic climate change. Thriving in the new world means putting sustainability at the heart of your strategy for recovery.
Gaurav aims to create ecologically friendly properties and believe in giving people clean air, clean water and clean food. A life that is sustainable and reminds us of how people used to live about 100 years back. With focus on using earth friendly materials like stone, bamboo, fiber, certified wood and rattan would help the environment and ensure the best practices are followed across the hospitality sector.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (17 UN SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future. Gaurav comments that properties should be constructed safeguarding natural contours, it would feel like to co-exist with nature and relive a time where people lived sustainably.
- Why is sustainability important in hotels?
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, hotels are accountable for one percent of global emissions. This number will continue to rise as hotel demand increases, which is why implementing sustainability initiatives in hotels is so important to mitigate this negative impact. Accordingly, to a sustainability trend in the travel market following are few stats to go through.
What are the most common sustainability practices for hotels?
- Waste reduction
Hotels produce an excessive amount of waste. Many hotels have implemented recycling in common areas, reusable food service materials and have made newspapers available in common areas rather than delivering to each individual room. Hotels have also implemented the use of reusable water bottles by having filtered water stations and giving guests a reusable water bottle instead of using plastic bottles.
- Energy conservation
Energy conservation is one of the most important areas of sustainability because it has been found that reducing energy consumption can have the same effect on revenue management as increasing average daily room rate. Some of the most common energy efficiency practices are energy tracking, having digital thermostats in the guest rooms, and the use of LED light bulbs. Another popular way of contributing to energy conservation is to install a one switch system for lights so that lights don’t get left on accidentally, as well as the installation of solar panels to power water heating.
- EV vehicles and way forward
Hotel chains are trying to make sustainable travel attractive by helping to widen the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and optimising charging costs for the travellers.
- Water conservation
Water use for hotels is responsible for about 24 percent of total utility expenses. Bathroom fixtures, laundry, landscaping, and kitchens are the areas where the most water is used. Reducing water use not only helps reduce costs, but is also a fundamental sustainable practice. The most common water conservation practices that hotels have implemented are regular water tracking and low-flow toilets, as well as putting in efficient faucets and showerheads. Another common practice is encouraging travellers to take sustainability into their own hands through both energy and water conservation. For example, hotels can have guests forgo daily towel and bed linen changes, which helps to reduce the energy and water necessary for laundry.
- Amenities and cleaning products
Hotels have chosen to experiment with creating custom-formulated amenities in recyclable or compostable packages. In terms of cleaning products, many hotels are choosing to shift away from abrasive cleaning products, towards organic or natural cleaners that are less harmful to both housekeeping and to the environment. This also helps move away from the use of products derived from petrochemicals hence promote “GREEN HOUSEKEEPING”.
- Food & Beverage
F&B sector is taking sustainable initiatives, choosing to promote the use of local, organic food in their meal choices. As well as promoting the careful and curated choice of ingredients. There is without a doubt a shift towards sustainably-sourced ingredients that also help contribute to the local economy.
