Hotels have a huge opportunity to improve the efficiency of existing buildings by retrofitting, says Green Hotelier

The International Tourism Partnership has launched issue 58 of Green Hotelier, a free online magazine that highlights best practice in sustainability in the hospitality industry. According to a 2009 report by the UK’s Investment Property Forum, new buildings represent only between 1 and 2% of total UK commercial building stock, therefore retrofitting existing buildings offers real potential to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. The commercial and environmental imperatives for retrofitting are clear given that the building sector accounts for between 30 and 40% of global energy use.

The main feature highlights how to approach a retrofit, including assessing where the hotel’s biggest impacts are, and the best technologies to install to guarantee an improved environmental performance with the quickest return on investment. Full of practical case studies, the article shows that the key challenges of retrofitting hotels such as engineering, maintaining the brand values and ensuring the quality of the guest experience can be met successfully.

Retrofitting historic buildings can present particular challenges. Some solutions to improving the efficiency of period buildings are straightforward, such as upgrading appliances and using more energy-efficient lighting. Other options such as insulation and the incorporation of technologies including wind turbines and solar panels can be more problematic. The article also explores the barriers to green retrofits faced by hoteliers in emerging markets such as China and India. For example, in China there is a shortage of skilled staff to install and operate low-carbon retrofits.

Other features in issue 58 include: exploring opportunities for hoteliers to alleviate poverty and exclusion in the countries where they operate, focussing on Peru, a practical Know-how guide to designing sustainable hotel interiors, and an interview with the longest-serving CEO in the industry, Kurt Ritter, of The Rezidor Hotel Group, which delves into his approach to sustainability and embedding the Responsible Business programme into all levels of the business. Readers can contribute to the debate by taking part in topical discussions and voting in the latest poll: ‘Have hotels’ corporate responsibility efforts focused too much on environmental issues at the expense of social programmes?’

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Notes to Editors

- Green Hotelier sets the agenda for responsible business in hotels and tourism. It highlights best practice among the hotel industry, and provides latest trends and insight into sustainable tourism. It is the leading source for inspirational, practical and technical information on green issues for the hotel sector. www.greenhotelier.org

- The International Tourism Partnership (ITP), founded in 1992 and part of the International Business Leaders Forum, brings together the world’s leading international hotel companies to provide a voice for environmental and social responsibility in the industry. It works to demonstrate in a very practical way that environmental and social responsibility makes good business sense. ITP does this by highlighting best practice, offering a range of practical products and programmes and tackling emerging sustainability issues through its collaborative working groups.  ITP’s programmes and products include, among others, the Youth Career Initiative, the Green Hotelier online magazine, the Environmental Management for Hotels handbook, and Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction. The combined reach of the membership extends to over 22,000 properties, over 3.2 million rooms and over 1.5 million employees in over 100 countries worldwide.

To suggest new content for future editions, contact: greenhoteliercontent@iln.co.uk

For advertising enquires, contact greenhotelieradvertising@iln.co.uk

For further information, please contact: Francesca Leadlay, Programme Manager Sustainability

Email: francesca.leadlay@iblf.org. Tel: 020 7467 3646.

International Tourism Partnership chief calls for smart, inclusive and responsible growth to ensure a sustainable future for the hotel industry

Speaking to 250 delegates at the first HOT.E Hotel Investment Conference Europe, Stephen Farrant, director of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) said that the "the world's prospects for balanced and consistent growth are highly uncertain, and the common assumption that financial growth - as we currently define it - leads automatically to a more prosperous and stable world has been seriously undermined".

Farrant agreed with Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future Research, who stated earlier in the conference that "growth is no longer a given". But Farrant went on to outline how our perceptions of growth would have to change in light of economic and political uncertainties.

Smart growth "In my view, it will be companies, not governments, that will engineer the quantum leap we need to see in how to manage the earth's finite physical and financial resources. Getting more for less is going to be critical in the years to come," said Farrant.

An example of 'smart growth', according to Farrant is an initiative aimed at helping hotel businesses to de-carbonise their operations. The joint ITP and WTTC "Carbon Measurement" working group has the active involvement of many leading hotel companies.

Inclusive growth
In similar vein, Farrant argued that "it will be companies that will redefine their business model to consciously include the world's "have-nots", as employees, suppliers or customers." This, Farrant said is 'inclusive growth'.

He cited the Youth Career Initiative (a six-month education programme that provides disadvantaged young people with life and work skills), as "one of the best examples we have for how this industry can work together to provide entry level opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and, in so doing, to transform their life chances".

Responsible growth
In defining 'responsible growth', Farrant gave examples from outside the hotel industry - quoting B&Q CEO Ian Cheshire: "Instead of the goal of maximum linear growth in GDP, we should be thinking of maximum wellbeing for minimal planetary input." In practice, B&Q is rethinking its whole business model and examining a options such as shifting from selling products such as power drills, to leasing them.

Farrant summed up the future growth model for the hotel industry: "We have a unique opportunity to re-think what sort of growth we pursue, to deliver the value that we need. We know that our planet is finite, and business as usual is unlikely to get us to where we want to be."

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Growth in hotel sector offers opportunities to improve the industry’s environmental impact, says Green Hotelier

The International Tourism Partnership has launched issue 57 of Green Hotelier, a free online magazine that highlights best practice in sustainability in the hospitality industry. Focusing on the challenges and opportunities of embedding the latest innovation in sustainable design into new-build properties, issue 57 explores how the hotel industry can incorporate the latest technologies and designs to ensure improved environmental performance.

Green buildings use on average 26% less energy, emit 33% less carbon dioxide, use 30% less indoor water and send 50-75% less solid waste to landfills and incinerators, according to the US Green Building Council. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, the tourism sector as a whole contributed an estimated 5% of total global CO2 emissions in 2005, with accommodation contributing a fifth of those emissions. With huge growth forecast for many markets, especially in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), these new developments offer a great opportunity to avoid the mistakes of the past and to create sustainable, energy-efficient hotels. As Martin Townsend, director of the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), points out: “There is a direct correlation between environmental benefits and economic benefits. Sustainability is basically best practice.”

Other features in issue 57 include: addressing the challenges of water scarcity in Bali, a practical Know-how guide with tips for creating a “greener” bathroom, and an interview with Mr P.R.S. Oberoi, Chairman and CEO, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, which explores his views on the industry and the sustainability agenda. Readers can contribute to the debate by taking part in topical discussions and voting in the latest poll: ‘Should hotels be doing more to educate guests about using water wisely during their stay?’

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Green Hotelier sets the agenda for responsible business in hotels and tourism. It highlights best practice among the hotel industry, and provides latest trends and insight into sustainable tourism. It is the leading source for inspirational, practical and technical information on green issues for the hotel sector. www.greenhotelier.org

• The International Tourism Partnership (ITP), founded in 1992 and part of the International Business Leaders Forum, brings together the world’s leading international hotel companies to provide a voice for environmental and social responsibility in the industry. It works to demonstrate in a very practical way that environmental and social responsibility makes good business sense. ITP does this by highlighting best practice, offering a range of practical products and programmes and tackling emerging sustainability issues through its collaborative working groups. ITP’s programmes and products include, among others, the Youth Career Initiative, the Green Hotelier online magazine, the Environmental Management for Hotels handbook, and Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction. The combined reach of the membership extends to over 22,000 properties, over 3.2 million rooms and over 1.5 million employees in over 100 countries worldwide.

To suggest new content for future editions, contact: greenhoteliercontent@iln.co.uk

For further information, please contact: Francesca Leadlay, Programme Manager Sustainability

Email: francesca.leadlay@iblf.org. Tel: 020 7467 3646.