CSR and Sustainability

🏝 European travel and tourism representatives met in Rhodes, Greece, to sign a declaration for sustainable travel and tourism. It establishes a roadmap for collaboration and sustainability goals, emphasizing decarbonisation and policy engagement. Ahead of the EU elections, the declaration advocates for sustainable tourism budget lines and policy support. It reinforces decarbonisation pledges from the Glasgow and Toulouse Declarations, promotes industry awareness, supports SMEs, and encourages education and training. Regular stakeholder meetings will assess progress. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and South Aegean Governor George Hatzimarkos endorsed the event. Organizations involved include A4E, ACI Europe, CLIA, ECTAA, EEIA, ERA, HOTREC, IAAPA, IRU, and Ruraltour.

🍕 Restaurant Pine announces SecondBite 2025 charity event on July 6th at Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Newcastle to support Cancer Research UK. The event aims to surpass last year's £82,063 fundraising total with 20 UK Michelin-starred chefs creating street food dishes, with 500 portions of each available. Entry is free; dish tokens cost £10. Notable chefs include Gareth Ward of Ynyshir, Tom Shepherd of Restaurant Upstairs, and Ian Waller of Restaurant Pine. Proceeds support over 4,000 Cancer Research UK professionals.

🔥 HOTELS Magazine CEO Ali Jahangiri is offering 90 days of free rent to two low-income families displaced by the L.A. wildfires. Available are two newly remodeled, furnished apartments in Costa Mesa, CA, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom each. Affected families can apply by contacting Cole O’Neil at cole@jvgroupinc.com. Decisions will be made shortly to provide some relief to victims of the disaster.

🛒 Stefan Mühle of Noble House Hotels & Resorts advises on sustainability certification for hoteliers. Key steps include reviewing guidelines, conducting internal audits, creating a timeline, forming a "Green Team," and maintaining documentation such as 12-month utility bills. Regular training, clear communication with certifiers, and budgeting for upgrades are essential. Audit preparation involves accessible records, data on consumption metrics, using benchmarking tools, and understanding changing certification criteria. Continuous improvement and engagement with certifiers support recertification efforts.

🎨 INNSiDE Liverpool collaborates with dot-art for art classes starting from 2nd March with Botanical Collage, 23rd March features Recycled Liver Bird, concluding with Bookmark Weaving on 27th April 2024. Classes at £45 each include a drink and are held at the hotel's Sky Bar with panoramic city views. An overnight stay is offered from £99, plus a 10% discount on in-house dining. The hotel, located at Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9LQ, hosts quarterly art exhibitions featuring local talent.

🏨 ATPI Group, a global travel and events management company, partners with Saudi Arabia's Arjaa Travel to expand in the Middle East. Headquartered in Al Khobar, Arjaa Travel is part of Almajdouie Group from Damman. The partnership promises improved travel solutions, integrating services for strategic planning and analytics. This collaboration anticipates growth aligned with major events like the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia.

🔥 In Bethesda, Maryland, Choice Hotels International Inc. announced a match campaign up to $25,000 for Choice Privileges members’ Red Cross donations for 2025 California wildfire relief. Previously, over $160,000 was raised by Choice Hotel affiliates in November 2024 for Southeast communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.