ITP’s GOAL ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
“ITP commits to collectively impact one million young people under 25 through employability programmes led by our hotels by 2030”
More than 71 million young people (aged from 15 to 24) worldwide are looking for work and 156 million young workers are living in poverty, often due to unstable, irregular jobs1. Many find themselves working in difficult or dangerous conditions, often outside the boundaries of the formal economy.
The hotel industry is well-equipped to offer meaningful work and career development options to young people, as it is growing at 4% each year and touches almost every corner of the globe. The wider travel and tourism industry currently provides around one in ten of all jobs2.
ITP believes the hotel industry can significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals 4.43 and 8.64, and the above goal sets out to double the impact of its members’ employability programmes.
ITP encourages the hotel industry to support its award-winning Youth Career Initiative (YCI) programme. YCI opens the door to the hotel industry’s varied opportunities, supporting young people to build brighter futures. There are over 4,000 YCI graduates to date across more than 20 countries, with an 85% success rate of employment or returning to education.
1 ILO, 2016 - World Employment and Social Outlook 2016: Trends for Youth
2 WTTC, 2017 – Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2017
3 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
ITP’s GOAL ON WATER
“ITP commits to support increased water-use efficiency, sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and reduce the number of people affected by water scarcity by embedding water stewardship programmes across hotel portfolios.”
Demand for freshwater is likely to outstrip supply by 40% by 20305 and a third of the world’s population will be living in areas of severe water stress by this time. In most countries, water consumption per guest in hotels exceeds that of the local population, so the industry has a responsibility to encourage responsible use and consumption.
ITP urges the global hotel industry to raise the baseline on water stewardship and is working to support its members to contribute to SDG 6.46. ITP members commit to embedding water stewardship programmes across their hotel portfolios as a means of reducing the number of people affected by water scarcity, and support sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater for properties and communities worldwide.
ITP encourages hotels to use its Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) methodology for measuring and reporting on the water footprint of a hotel stay or meeting.
5 McKinsey, Charting our Water Future, 2009
6 SDG 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
ITP’s GOAL ON CARBON
“ITP embraces the ambition of science-based targets and encourages the wider industry to join its collaboration to develop carbon reductions at scale.”
Rising carbon emissions are accelerating climate change with devastating impacts on communities and biodiversity7. The hotel industry already accounts for around 1% of global emissions and this is set to increase as the hospitality industry continues to grow.
Meaningful carbon targets must be based on scientific principles. ITP’s research indicates that the hotel industry must reduce its absolute carbon emissions by 66% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 to stay within the 2˚C threshold of the COP21 Paris Climate Agreement; this is a quantifiable “science-based target”. To drive sustainable growth for the future, ITP members embrace the ambition of science-based targets and encourage the wider industry to join their collaboration to develop carbon reductions at scale.
ITP also encourages the uptake of consistent reporting through the use of the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), developed by ITP in collaboration with the World Travel & Tourism Council, and already used by over 24,000 hotels worldwide. HCMI provides a common methodology for measuring and reporting on the carbon footprint of a hotel stay or meeting. Hotels can benchmark their performance via ITP and Greenview’s Hotel Footprinting Tool.
7 SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
ITP’s GOAL ON HUMAN RIGHTS
“ITP commits to driving positive change on respect for human rights and fostering safe and inclusive working environments. ITP commits to;
- Continue to raise awareness of human rights risks in the hotel industry and embed human rights requirements into the corporate governance of ITP members
- Work to address human rights risks in the labour supply chain, including elimination of fees charged to workers to secure employment
- Identify and develop tools to address human rights risks during the development and construction phase of hotels.”
Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to. ITP believes that the global hotel industry needs to be a unified force on human rights which collaborates to support SDG 88, where only collective commitment can address the risks.
ITP members are committed, both individually and collectively, to assessing actual and potential human rights risks, acting upon the findings, and communicating how risks are addressed. We will continue to work together to identify and share best practices across the industry and are committed to continuing to engage all relevant stakeholders, including our business stakeholders – direct employees, developers, owners, franchisees and suppliers – to:
- Identify appropriate mechanisms to address human rights risks throughout the value chain, from direct employment through construction to supply chains
- Identify appropriate human rights key performance indicators to recommend industry standards and define targets
- Develop relevant training and other resources for those working in the industry
To see ITP’s full Statement on Respecting Human Rights, click here
8 SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and its members believe that the hotel industry can be a force for good and make a positive contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and to the COP21 climate agreements.
Leading global hotel groups collaborate for a sustainable industry
Aligned by a focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Commitment to lead by example sends a call to action across the industry
By working together we can drive change further and faster than on our own. Our vision for 2030 is for sustainable growth and a fairer future for all. We are working together to achieve this through our collective ambition to impact critical issues via four ITP Goals.
The International Tourism Partnership convenes the world’s leading hotel groups for combined action on four Goals vital for sustainable growth.
ITP’s Goals represent the industry’s response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; driving progress on the key issues affecting the hotel sector at a global level.
The Goals send out a clear call to action to the wider industry about the critical importance of using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a focal point to drive responsible business in hospitality.
ITP is a global sector-led organisation, bringing together the world’s most powerful hotel companies in an alliance focused on a single ambition:
to lead the industry through example with clear and quantifiable commitments to improved sustainability.
Dr Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO
“As we celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development I welcome ITP’s commitment to drive positive change, and I encourage others in the hotel sector to join their movement making tourism a true force for good.”
Wolfgang M. Neumann, ITP Governing Council Chairman and industry thought-leader, backs the Goals:
“We have agreed on four core Goals, with two addressing environmental issues – climate and water – and two supporting the people who work in the hotel industry and its supply chain. This even balance between planet and people reflects the passion and commitment of ITP members to make a real and lasting difference to a broad range of issues against which commitments can be agreed.
It’s time for business to align with the Global Goals – the SDGs – and work together to tackle inequality and climate change by 2030. The hotel industry is proud to lead the way; collaborating for stronger impacts and faster change.”
Fran Hughes, ITP Director, reflects on the importance of adopting the four Goals for the hotel industry:
“This sector-wide alignment to a single set of Goals is a fantastic achievement for the International Tourism Partnership. It is also a reflection of the increasing importance that the hospitality industry attaches to sustainability issues. Business leaders have put competition to one side to create an ambitious vision for the future and a rallying call to the whole industry.
By working together, I feel certain that these businesses will create a more sustainable future for the entire hospitality industry.”
