Worldwide: Bringing together 14 of the world’s leading hotel companies, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has officially launched with the vision to support and protect destinations and communities.
The Alliance will take forward the work of International Tourism Partnership, its global youth employment programme Youth Career Initiative, and sustainability communications platform Green Hotelier.
It first formed in 1992 by a consortium of chief executives from 10 global hotel companies as a result of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. First known as International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI), a programme of International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), for the past seven years it has been part of Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network. It now launches as an independent charity.
Members of the Alliance make up 25 per cent of the global hotel industry by rooms, including Marriott International, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt and Radisson.
The organisation will work with their members and other partners to asses the key social and environmental challenges facing the industry, and prioritise their activities and programmes to deliver a positive impact.
Madhu Rajesh, CEO of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, commented: “The industry has the collective strength to drive meaningful action on major issues. Hotels generate an annual revenue of over $550 billion for their local economies and provide opportunities in communities all over the world. It is important that we use this scale to foster inclusive environments where new opportunities are reaching those who need them the most, while also building on the commitment and momentum we’ve seen towards sustainability over recent years. We’re pleased to support any hotel whatever stage they are on their sustainability journey.”
Chair of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Wolfgang M. Neumann, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has cemented the sector’s commitment to corporate responsibility and given a renewed focus on building back better. While this is a time of great change for the world, and our industry, our members remain committed to addressing the issues that impact our planet and its people, and working together for a more sustainable and resilient future. We are grateful to BITC for the fruitful partnership and successful incubation period which has enabled the Alliance to begin operating independently.”
Vice chair of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Katie Fallon, added: “When it comes to protecting the environment and enhancing social welfare, the hospitality industry recognises that by working together we can achieve far greater impact than as individual companies. Through the Alliance, the industry convenes to take bold, collective action to address the scale of the challenges and opportunities we face.”
The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance offers a range of free tools and resources to enable every hotel to operate responsibly and grow sustainably, in addition to developing programmes that bring together the hospitality industry with public sector, non-profit and other strategic partners.
On Monday November 16th at 14:00 GMT, Rajesh will join us in our Trailblazer webinar on boutique hotels and a sustainable future. Click here to register and for further information on the session.
