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How to Reduce Carbon Footprint in the Tourism Industry

Travel has resumed. While it brings positive developments to the tourism industry, concerns about travel sustainability have also reemerged. Some travel practices contribute to environmental problems. As people return to their old ways and enjoy the luxury of traveling, it is also important to take essential steps toward a sustainable future.

Many people have already adopted practices that help lower environmental impact. However, some are still less conscious about how they act and must be guided in choosing more sustainable options that won’t affect their experience.

How Your Hotel Can Reduce Carbon Footprint in Tourism 

1. Encourage longer vacations.

One of the main purposes of traveling is to relax and get away from the usual hustle and bustle of life. However, this would be harder to achieve if travelers would be in a rush when taking breaks. 

Travelers should not cram trying to get to several destinations in a limited number of days. This makes a “vacation” more hectic and tiring than the usual days. Hoteliers should come up with extended vacation packages that will help slow things down for travelers. This will not just allow them to make the most of their trip, but will also help reduce the number of emissions that may be generated when traveling from one destination to another.

Offer promos for longer vacations and include activities that can make them feel relaxed and refreshed while helping the environment too!

2. Help travelers to pack light.

How travelers pack their essentials also impacts the environment. In essence, the heavier the luggage, the higher the demand for fuel when transporting them whether by plane, car, or bus. Higher fuel consumption equates to a higher amount of carbon emissions.

Change how guests pack their luggage. Provide basic hotel amenities so that they won’t find it necessary to bring them. Hotel slippers, bathrobes, and quality towels are basic provisions that guests must be entitled to use. Just make sure that you’ll provide luxurious hotel amenities that can eliminate reasons for guests to still bring their personal items. Hair blowers, electric razors, and clothes iron are examples of room equipment that must be made available for them too. You can also provide sporting gear such as basketball, frisbee, and fishing equipment that they may use for free while in your hotel.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reducing your luggage by 15 pounds would decrease your emissions by about 80 pounds on a ten-hour flight. Imagine the amount of CO2 that can be eliminated per trip if more passengers would do this!

3. Provide eco-friendly transportation.

When getting from one destination to another, provide guests with better transportation options. Shuttle services are better than sedans that can only accommodate 3 to 4 people. You may also invest in hybrid or electric vehicles. Furthermore, you can provide bicycles or e-scooters to allow them to exercise while exploring places.

4. Reduce food waste. 

Food production accounts for around 1 quarter of the total world emissions. Carbon is produced along with food production, particularly during the stages of processing, packaging, transportation, and refrigeration. Aside from those, uneaten foods that are thrown away also produce methane emissions as they rot in landfills.

Observe sustainable food practices in your hotel to spare the environment from further harm.

  • Provide small servings of food.
  • When providing free breakfast, give guests the freedom to choose what they’ll eat.
  • Be strict in buffets to lessen the amount of food waste.
  • Provide reusable containers for your leftovers.
  • Choose local suppliers to cut the distance in the transport of foods.

5. Support eco-friendly hotel amenities suppliers.

Hotel administrators should be more conscious when it comes to the decisions they make, including the procurement of hotel supplies. Use your authority by choosing eco-friendly hotel amenities suppliers. Shift to hotel suppliers that are dedicated to breaking the cycle of environmental issues caused by the hospitality industry. 

  • Check the sustainability of the products being offered by hotel suppliers.
  • Invest in quality hotel amenities that can last longer.
  • Choose sustainable hotel supplies that can also improve the guest experience.

ALSO READ: Different Types of Beddings You Need for Your Hotel

Hotels and other businesses play a great role in making travel more sustainable and for the tourism industry to recover and thrive without inflicting harm to the environment. Simple steps such as using energy-efficient fixtures and local outsourcing of food supplies can make a difference in your carbon footprint. Climate action is done through the implementation of relevant practices. It’s not yet too late. Start with the above-mentioned tips.

Are you looking for a hotel amenities supplier who can help you take climate action? Hotel & Spa Essentials offers sustainable hotel supplies used by world-class hotels. Reach out to us so we can guide you on your sustainable shift.

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Key Factors to Boost Tourism Industry Recovery

One of the sectors most affected by the pandemic is the tourism industry. Health and safety restrictions plus low demand among tourists forced tourism-related businesses to temporarily stop their operations which resulted in revenue losses.

Fortunately, signs tell that the tourism industry is on its way to recovery. Strict quarantine restrictions are no longer imposed and people are more confident to travel. While the road to recovery is imminent, key factors must not be overlooked for the tourism industry to recover for good and positively impact travelers and business owners.

Steps Toward Tourism Industry Recovery

Understand Customer Preferences 

Important decisions should be based on customer interests. Those in the tourism industry should implement strategies that complement the behavior and practices of travelers. 

For instance, 70% of global travelers prefer eco-friendly accommodations. However, most of them are unaware of eco-labels that can guide them when making the choice. Aside from implementing sustainable practices, hotels must include “labels” that will help customers to quickly identify the best choices based on their preferences.

Support Hybrid Tourism

Hybrid tourism, a term that refers to longer stays that merge activities such as “Bleisure” which combines work and leisure, has grown in popularity. Work-from-home setups, online studies, and the rise of the freelancing industry are among the factors that changed traditional vacations. Long stays combine leisure and business. Hotels have an increased chance for success as long as they can provide fast and stable internet connection, in-room equipment, and a quiet place where “work” can be completed.

Offer Flexibility

A recent survey tells that free flight cancellations and flexible hotel bookings are among the things that will encourage more travelers to book their next trip. While this will guide businesses in the tourism industry, it may be challenging to be sustained in the long term. Alternative solutions should be in place to also protect businesses.

Incorporate Wellness

More travelers now value the importance of wellness and would be willing to spend on activities that promote self-care, relaxation, and stress relief. Amenities such as gyms, spas, and spaces for art and cooking classes are just some of the options that may be incorporated into accommodations.

Promote Health and Hygiene

A study on the reopening of our industry reveals that 47% of travelers worldwide cite a COVID-19-related factor as the most influential criterion when choosing a destination. It also shows that two-thirds of the respondents expect to know about COVID-19 prevention measures before booking.

Health and safety remain a top concern among travelers. Hotels can contribute to increased confidence in traveling by implementing practices that promote health and safety. Sanitation kits must still be provided to all guests and new normal essentials should be available within the property. Seeing that an accommodation is compliant with health and safety practices can boost customer confidence and increase bookings. 

Rediscover Domestic Travel

Domestic tourism gained huge support when restrictions for international travel were still in place. It was one of the reasons why travel companies were sustained during the pandemic. As international travel resumes, domestic travel may not be as appealing to travelers as it was before. 

Ample support and promotion to rediscover domestic travel can help create a balance between international and local tourism. New and old tourism hotspots should be supported. Local businesses should also benefit from the influx of tourists. Doing so will promote tourism industry recovery while allowing local companies to thrive along with international companies.

ALSO READ: Different Types of Beddings You Need for Your Hotel

Many companies in the travel sector keep their hopes up as there are already positive signs that pre-pandemic times are back. In order to boost tourism industry recovery,  important steps must be taken to address the changing needs of travelers and improve the industry as a whole. Furthermore, as businesses resume, it’s essential to keep sustainability in mind. The industry and the environment can both thrive especially with the increasing preference of guests for sustainability, the availability of eco-friendly amenities, and industry regulations that promote environmental protection.

Have you already replenished your hotel supplies now that the tourism industry is already recovering? From sanitation kits to luxurious and eco-friendly hotel amenities, Hotel and Spa Essentials can support your needs. Send us a message today so we can help you.

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