1. Know the benefits of hotel sustainability
Before you get started, you should know that sustainability is not just good for people and planet – it’s good for business too. Here we lay out the benefits of creating a sustainable hotel - talk about motivation!
1. Increased Attractiveness: According to Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report (2021), 83% of global travelers consider sustainable travel important, with 61% expressing a desire to travel more sustainably.
2. Enhanced Guest Loyalty: Sustainable hotels communicate a message that is increasingly relevant in society. Conscious travelers prefer to support like-minded establishments and are more likely to return to such accommodations due to enhanced guest experience.
3. Greater Resilience: In turbulent times, sustainable hotels are better equipped to handle challenges and risks stemming from changes like supply chains, regulatory requirements, legal issues, disputes and reputation risks.
4. Increased Investment: Both the public and private sectors are increasingly investing in companies that deliver greater benefits to the world and practice sustainable economics.
5. Inspiration and Added Value: Sustainable hotels not only offer added value to their guests but also attract and retain top talents. They gain the best employees and partners, increase long-term business value, and have the capacity to support local communities.
6. Cost Savings: Energy-efficient technologies and reduced resource consumption can lead to substantial cost savings over time.
7. Positive Brand Image and Competitive Advantage: A commitment to sustainability can improve hotels’ reputations and can set themselves apart in a crowded marketplace, providing a unique selling point.
2. Check your Starting Point
You now know why it's worthwhile to embark on the journey of creating a sustainable hotel. But now you’re likely left with the question: HOW? And, most importantly, where do you begin?
Don’t fret! We’ve got a helpful, free tool to answer that question, as where you start depends on your hotel’s current status quo. Take 10 minutes to complete MAp’s Sustainability Assessment. Through targeted questions on topics like energy efficiency, social responsibility and resource management, you’ll not only receive a detailed analysis of your current sustainability standing, but also gain valuable insights for future actions.
Your commitment to sustainable change begins here: Take the free assessment NOW.
Why you should take the Sustainability Assessment:
- Understand the current level of sustainability in your hotel and discover the starting point for further development. • Delve deeper into the holistic aspects of hotel sustainability.
- Generate initial ideas and insights into how your hotel can be made more sustainable and successful.
- Find out which The Sustainable Hotel handbooks and resources can be most helpful.
- Receive tailored recommendations for the next steps in sustainable hotel development.
3. Define your Purpose
Now that the starting point for your sustainability journey is clear, it’s time to define your Purpose. At MAp, we tackle hotel sustainability through the lens of the 4 Ps of Sustainability - Purpose, People, Planet, Profit - and the first P we always start with is Purpose.
By discovering your Purpose, you can focus your sustainability journey on what matters most for your hotel: your sustainability priority – whether that’s People, Planet or Profit. Your Purpose informs what path you take, keeps your eyes on the road and inspires you – and your team – to move forward with passion and persistence. For example, if your hotel’s Purpose is “To bring people back to nature,” your sustainability priority might be environmental sustainability, Planet.
To help you get to the heart of your Purpose, ask these questions: WHY do you do what you do? WHY are you embarking on this journey? WHAT change do you wish to make in this world?
We’ve got a whole handbook dedicated to Purpose to guide you in identifying yours, integrating it into your operations and sharing it with the world – check it out HERE.
4. Moving forward #stepbystep
Your Purpose serves as your guiding star, identifying your sustainability priority, be it social (People), environmental (Planet) or economic sustainability (Profit). As a next step, it’s time to tackle that P. But great news! We’ve got handbooks dedicated to each P, which provide deep insights into each area and what action steps you need to take in order to achieve sustainability in that area. Once you've successfully addressed your first priority P, it’s important to not forget the other areas of sustainability and address them #stepbystep too. After all, to create a truly sustainable hotel, your hotel has to be holistically sustainable – or else it falls short. Like we said at the beginning, sustainability is a journey! What’s most important is that you take the first step. With this, we hope it’s clear what step that is.
The Sustainable Hotel Roadmap
Use this interactive RoadMAp to guide your journey to implementing sustainable hotel practices.
In this free interactive RoadMAp, we guide you through the 4 steps that you should take in order to start your journey to implementing sustainable hotel practices.
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