TORONTO—Four Seasons, the leading luxury hospitality company, is embracing its culture of care and personalized service by placing food at the heart of its global celebration of kindness. Beginning on World Kindness Day, November 13, and throughout the festive season, Four Seasons is sparking acts of kindness and inspiring communities to connect and give back. Guided by the Golden Rule and the company's Four Seasons for Good program, Four Seasons remains committed to fostering meaningful connections while actively supporting local communities. Building on the success of last year’s World Kindness Day initiative, which raised over $350,000 for more than 50 charities worldwide, this year’s theme, Food...

MCLEAN, VA.—For many, checking into a hotel can mean the beginning of an exciting adventure, a relaxing getaway or important moments in life. For guests who are blind or have low vision, exploring the unfamiliar surroundings of a hotel could pose unique and specific challenges that have the potential to impact their stay. Hilton, a global leader in hospitality, announced an industry-first, exclusive partnership with Be My Eyes to ensure guests who are blind or have low vision can experience a more accessible, seamless and welcoming stay. Together with Be My Eyes, Hilton is making available AI-powered assistance and dedicated Hilton Reservations...

MIAMI—Silversea, a leader of luxury expedition travel experiences, announced it is developing a hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile—the southernmost city on Earth—to create an unrivaled experience for guests to explore the rugged landscape of Antarctica. The hotel will facilitate a uniquely frictionless journey to the “White Continent,” allowing guests to enjoy Silversea’s personalized service and warm hospitality throughout their voyage. Guests embarking on the cruise line’s innovative Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program—the fastest and most direct route to Antarctica—will fly directly to Puerto Williams from Santiago, Chile’s capital city, for a superior experience. The new 150-room hotel will be built in partnership with a consortium of Chilean...

NATIONAL REPORT—Given the immense climatic challenges we currently face and the growing consumer demand for more sustainable products and services, businesses in every sector are starting to take their environmental impact seriously. In hospitality, the situation is no different. Energy consumption in the industry is high, with cooling, lighting, heating, and ventilation responsible for up to 60 percent of a hotel’s CO2 emissions. Energy-intensive extras such as heated swimming pools, excessive water and plastic use, and food waste also contribute to the industry’s environmental impacts. Given these unavoidable energy requirements and resource needs, hotels must be smart about increasing energy efficiency and reducing their...

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a landmark report at its Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia, highlighting how Indigenous tourism is projected to contribute $67BN USD to the global economy by 2034. The report showcases the sector’s role in driving economic growth, particularly in remote regions, and its vital contribution for cultural preservation and community empowerment. Indigenous Tourism: A Driver of Economic Growth Indigenous tourism is rapidly emerging as a key economic driver.  It creates jobs and economic value in remote areas. It promotes and protects Indigenous people’s cultures, languages and lands. And gives visitors a...

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS—The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC), by Hotelschool The Hague, announces the Winner of its 2024 edition, revealed during the grand finale at the Future Hospitality Summit World in Dubai. This year’s competition, which brought together seven visionary student teams from across the globe, celebrated groundbreaking innovations set to reshape the future of hospitality. The 2024 edition saw an incredible level of competition, with a remarkable turnout from industry leaders eager to participate as jurors. Teams presented their innovative concepts to a distinguished panel of 19 current industry leaders, making this year’s challenge one of the most competitive...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton, a global leader in hospitality, reported the significant impact of its annual Travel with Purpose Week, a global week of community engagement among its nearly half a million team members around the world. Every year, Hilton’s global community of team members come together to give back to the communities where they live, work and travel. By partnering with local organizations, Hilton’s corporate and property-based team members support local destination stewardship, career development, community resilience and other social and environmental priorities. This year, more than 1,200 events were held in communities around the world, contributing approximately 72,500 volunteer hours in...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—“Net-zero hotels” are something no one had heard of ten years ago, but now an increasing number are redirecting their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve this gold standard in hospitality sustainability. While this is an encouraging step—you might call it a breath of fresh air—the wider environmental challenges facing the hotel sector remain stark. According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s Global Hotel Decarbonisation Report, the sector must reduce its emissions by two-thirds by 2030 and 90 percent per room by 2050 if it’s to contribute to the goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. These ambitious...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reports a significant decrease in the climate footprint emissions of travel and tourism. Despite this positive development, the WTTC urges the sector to continue to innovate and invest in green technologies. WTTC’s latest Environmental & Social Research (ESR), created in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, reveals that in 2023 Travel & Tourism accounted for 6.7 percent of all emissions globally, down from 7.8 percent in 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak. The research showcases an important achievement with the sector’s economic contribution growing faster than its environmental impact. Last...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Scandic has launched its second Scandic Go hotel in Stockholm with 234 rooms. Together with property owner Pandox, the company has opened a new hotel at Fridhemsplan on the island of Kungsholmen in Stockholm. The parties have completed a comprehensive renovation of the hotel, which is now ready to welcome guests who want to explore the wide range of entertainment and experiences Stockholm offers. Fridhemsplan is a major gateway to central Stockholm. The residential buildings, restaurants, bars, stores and vast green spaces in the area create a vibrant and lively environment that attracts leisure and business travelers alike. A good...