The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) collaborates with Biosphere to enhance sustainability in the hotel sector, impacting over 2,500 properties globally.
- WTTC and Biosphere are partnering to harmonise sustainability standards, aligning with Sustainable Hospitality Alliance goals.
- The initiative aims to transition hotels from basic to advanced global sustainability standards, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- WTTC’s hotel sustainability basics will merge with Biosphere’s methodology to create a comprehensive framework.
- Industry leaders express optimism that this standardisation will create a clear pathway for global adoption of sustainable practices.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Biosphere have announced a strategic partnership to promote sustainability within the hotel industry, with projections that over 2,500 hotel properties worldwide will benefit from this initiative. This collaboration focuses on integrating sustainability criteria that align closely with the goals of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, seeking to establish unified and advanced global sustainability standards.
In this endeavour, the WTTC and Biosphere aim to guide hotels in advancing from basic sustainability criteria to more sophisticated global standards. This process is designed to reflect the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations, as well as its 169 targets. The integration of WTTC’s hotel sustainability basics with Biosphere’s methodology is expected to produce the most comprehensive international framework for sustainability in the hotel sector to date.
This collaborative approach signifies more than just an agreement; it is a foundational step towards creating a homogeneous pathway for the international hotel industry to follow in terms of sustainability. WTTC President and CEO, Julia Simpson, emphasised the importance of this partnership, stating, “The collaboration between Biosphere and WTTC is a fundamental step towards international standardisation in sustainability, creating a clear and homogeneous pathway for the industry.”
Further reinforcing the significance of this partnership, Tomás de Azcarate Bang, President of the Responsible Tourism Institute, highlighted the vital need for consensus and harmonisation in sustainability efforts, asserting, “Sustainability must be viable, understandable and achievable. This requires consensus and harmonisation of concepts, steps, and measures, which this agreement seeks to accomplish.”
By harmonising languages and processes, this partnership aims to provide a more stable and defined international framework for stakeholders in the hotel industry. The initiative is anticipated to set a new standard in the sector, facilitating a global embrace of established sustainability models. This move is expected to refine international hospitality standards, inviting stakeholders worldwide to align with shared sustainability practices.
This collaborative initiative by WTTC and Biosphere is set to redefine international sustainability standards in the hotel industry.
