The global hospitality industry is witnessing a significant shift towards sustainable practices. Travelers are increasingly prioritizing eco-conscious hotels, and leading organizations like the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) are taking concrete steps to encourage these practices. In this endeavor, a powerful partnership has emerged between WTTC and BeCause, a Danish sustainability data management solutions provider.
This strategic collaboration aims to simplify the sustainability journey for hotels by integrating WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) framework into BeCause’s innovative platform. Let’s delve deeper into this partnership and explore the positive impact it will have on the hospitality industry.
Empowering Sustainable Practices: The Benefits of the Partnership
This partnership between BeCause and WTTC offers a multitude of benefits for various stakeholders within the travel and tourism industry:
Enhanced Scalability for Hotel Sustainability Basics: The HSB framework provides a clear roadmap for hotels to implement fundamental sustainability practices. By integrating this framework into its platform, BeCause empowers WTTC to reach a wider audience of hotels, promoting the adoption of HSB principles more effectively.
Improved Data Visibility for WTTC: Centralizing sustainability data within the BeCause platform offers WTTC greater transparency regarding hotel participation in the HSB program. They can easily identify hotels that have completed the framework and those that require additional support, allowing them to advocate for more sustainable practices across the board.
Streamlined Sustainability Management for Hotel Chains: Hotel management at the chain level can leverage the BeCause platform to monitor the progress of individual properties within their portfolio. This allows them to identify areas for improvement and provide targeted support, ensuring all properties adhere to the HSB guidelines.
WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson on the Significance of the Partnership
“Sustainability is a priority for Travel & Tourism,” emphasizes Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC. She highlights the importance of the HSB framework, stating, “Through the Hotel Sustainability Basics, the global hotel industry has come together to define 12 fundamental, globally aligned sustainability criteria that all hotels can and should implement as a bare minimum.”
Simpson further emphasizes the partnership’s role in increasing transparency and providing hotels with an efficient tool to implement sustainable practices. “Our goal is to have a globally recognized trademark that shows customers at a glance that a hotel is taking measures to improve its environmental performance while also supporting its local community. By joining forces with BeCause we are increasing the transparency of that process and giving hotel groups an effective and efficient way to put that tool into the hands of their properties.”
A Sustainable Path for Hotels: The Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) Framework
The HSB framework outlines 12 key criteria that hotels can implement to reduce their environmental impact. These criteria cover various aspects of hotel operations, such as:
- Energy measurement and management
- Water conservation practices
- Waste reduction and recycling initiatives
- Linen and towel reuse programs
Hotels participating in the HSB program have three years to meet these core sustainability indicators. Verification for the HSB can be obtained annually through WTTC’s partnered organizations, Green Key and SGS. Successful verification allows hotels to display a badge across their branding, signifying their commitment to sustainability and attracting environmentally conscious travelers.
Simplifying Sustainability Efforts: The Power of BeCause
Because goes beyond integrating the HSB framework into its platform. It offers powerful features designed to simplify and streamline hotel sustainability efforts:
Automated Data Transmission: BeCause plans to automate data transmission from its platform directly to verification partners like Green Key and SGS. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, saving hotels valuable time and resources.
Reduced Duplication and Increased Efficiency: Hotels already using BeCause for sustainability data management can leverage their existing data points for the HSB framework. This eliminates the need for duplicate data entry, creating a seamless and efficient process.
Greater Sustainability Insights: By analyzing sustainability data within the BeCause platform, hotels can gain valuable insights into how their operations impact the environment. This empowers them to make informed decisions and pursue even more ambitious sustainability initiatives in the future.
“Like any endeavor, the first step is always the hardest,” acknowledges Frederik Steensgaard, CEO and Co-founder of BeCause. He highlights the importance of this partnership in encouraging hotels to embrace sustainability: “While many hotels might have sustainability initiatives in place, they don’t necessarily track their data – or do so efficiently. By completing the HSB framework through BeCause and gaining greater insight into how their business activities impact the planet, we hope they will be encouraged to pursue even more ambitious sustainability measures in the future.”
