CSR and Sustainability

🌈 In 2024, Booking.com revealed that over half of LGBTQ+ travelers experienced discrimination, and 56% feel more insecure while traveling. Despite this, 67% value authenticity during their journeys. Travel Proud, launched in 2021 and available in 11 languages including Japanese and Thai, provides inclusive hospitality training in partnership with HospitableMe. The program aims to address the specific challenges and discrimination LGBTQ+ travelers face, with 62% in APAC reporting barriers to feeling welcome.

🌏 LG Electronics received the MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP) “Leader” rating for environmental sustainability for the 10th consecutive year during Earth Week 2025. LG’s hotel TVs, digital signage displays, and computer monitors were recognized for their sustainable content, carbon impact reduction, sustainable material usage, and packaging waste reduction. MSAP, which evaluates suppliers' product lifecycles for sustainability, rates participants as Starter, Achiever, or Leader and has expanded beyond Marriott International to include brands like Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, and Sonesta. Metrics measured include energy, water, waste, indoor air quality, recyclability, and responsible supply chain practices.

🌱 LG Electronics recognized for environmental sustainability excellence, earning MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP) “Leader” rating for 10th year during Earth Week 2025. LG's hotel TVs, digital signage displays, and monitors praised for reducing carbon impact, sustainable materials, and less packaging waste. MSAP evaluates suppliers to the hospitality industry on product lifecycle sustainability, including Marriott, Fairmont, and Hilton, among others, measuring carbon footprint, sustainable materials, recyclability, and chemical safety.

🏕 Atzaró Okavango Camp in Botswana, opened June 2024, secures the Conde Nast Traveller ‘Hot List’ Best New Hotels 2025 award. The luxury camp offers 12 suites, two villas, all with plunge pools and star-beds. It partners with African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF), which started the Female Guides Program in 2021, now introducing female guides in 2025. ABCF supports Ditsiping Village with education and healthcare, including a full-time tutor and transport for mobile clinic staff. Guests can enjoy a 20-meter pool, wildlife safaris, wellness facilities, and children's activities, with encouragement for stays of 5+ days. The camp is eco-friendly, employing a solar farm and water purification systems.

🌏 Global Hotel Alliance's Green Collection expanded by 150% to 472 hotels, launched March 2023. Properties have at least one certification from recognized environmental organizations. Present in 60 countries, 260 destinations. Europe leads with Spain (74 hotels), Italy (57), Germany (54). Regular audits required for certification. 25 out of 45 GHA brands feature properties in the Green Collection.

🏛 Populus Hotels' second carbon-positive property, a 120-room hotel, is set to open in spring 2025 in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Developed by Urban Villages and operated by Aparium Hotel Group, this marks Populus Hotels' first adaptive reuse project, housed in the restored 1907 Westland Building. The property, featuring over 300 artworks, will be carbon positive, offsetting more carbon than it emits. Amenities include a café, meeting rooms, a restaurant named Salt Harvest, and the district's first rooftop bar.

🌍 Hotels showcasing environmental responsibility, like Solaz with 53,000 square meters of green areas, a desalination plant for 60,000 liters of daily fresh water, and smart rooms powered by Crestron technology, are fostering guest trust and loyalty. A 2024 study highlighted the importance of sustainability in guest preferences in the U.S., with ethical practices leading to repeat bookings. MGM Resorts' Las Vegas properties use solar power for 90% of daytime energy needs and recycle over 30 materials, while the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center uses waste-tracking to divert over 60% of waste from landfills, saving 1.2 million gallons of water annually and reducing energy use by 20%.

🌅 Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond – Kumarakom focuses on sustainable cooling using traditional Kerala architecture, natural microclimates, and high-efficiency systems. Key features include sloped clay-tiled roofs, high ceilings, and natural materials like terracotta, which aid in passive cooling. The resort encourages activities aligned with the day's natural rhythms and employs sustainable practices like solar energy, waste reduction, and offering Ayurvedic spa treatments. Niraamaya advocates for a philosophy of sustainability that supports the environment and offers a regenerative travel experience.

💿 Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO of Orient Express and Group Chief Strategy Officer at Accor, discusses luxury brand management in the April 16, 2025 episode. She talks about the strategic partnership between Orient Express and LVMH, emphasizing the importance of history, authenticity, and craftsmanship in maintaining legacy brands amidst change.

🌍 On 14 April 2025, ahead of trilogue negotiations on 24 April, the travel and tourism industry set priorities for the Directive on Green Claims, focusing on consumer protection against greenwashing. They emphasize a balance to not discourage greener performance, calling for a simplified system. Key points include: exemptions for micro-enterprises, support for SMEs, proportionate penalties, and allowance for new schemes. Full details can be found in their joint position.