The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Biosphere have teamed up to promote sustainability criteria in the hotel industry under its "Hotel Sustainability Basics" initiative. This marks a significant milestone for global hotel sustainability, benefiting over 2,500 hotels. As partners of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), both organizations are optimistic that standardizing their sustainability concepts will catalyze widespread adoption by hotels worldwide.
The agreement between WTTC and Biosphere will lay the groundwork for a network of international criteria homogenization. This initiative aims to facilitate the industry’s transition from basic criteria to more advanced global standards, aligning with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 goals of the United Nations. This connection is made possible through the “Guide for Sustainable Tourism” of UN-SDSN Spain and Biosphere.
Dr. Tomás de Azcárate Bang, president of the Responsible Tourism Institute, said: “Sustainability must be viable, understandable and achievable. This requires consensus and harmonization of concepts, steps and measures, which this agreement seeks to accomplish.”
This collaboration will result in the integration of the WTTC’s "Hotel Sustainability Basics" verification and the Biosphere methodology, creating the most comprehensive international framework for the sector, with a unified vision connected to the Sustainable Development Goals. Hotel Sustainability Basics emerged as a result of a demand from a significant group of global hotel brands to develop fundamental sustainability criteria that all accommodation providers must meet as a minimum, designed for the industry, by the industry.
Hotels, guest houses and tourist residences will be able to adopt the 12 criteria of the initiative, focusing on the following lines of action:
- Measuring and reducing energy and water consumption, as well as reducing waste and carbon emissions
- Fundamental actions to protect the environment
- Fundamental actions towards a positive contribution to the communities in which they are located
For more information, visit www.wttc.org.
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