AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Amsterdam is saying “no” to new hotels. “We want to make and keep the city livable, for residents and visitors. That means: no overtourism, no new hotels, and no more than 20 million hotel nights by tourists per year,” local government officials said.” Previously granted rights for new hotels still apply. And old hotels that close may make way for new, sustainable, modern hotels. The hotel policy was already strict. As of 2017, only three plans meet the conditions. Nevertheless, hotels are still under construction and hotels are being added. They already had rights before, such as a permit....

NORTH BETHESDA, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc. published its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. The report details Choice’s latest initiatives to drive sustainability across its portfolio of hotels. This includes new and expanded requirements to help reduce utility usage and identify savings through its revamped Room to be Green verification program. As part of this initiative, the report highlights the growing adoption of Choice’s automated utility tracking dashboard, with over 2,600 properties participating and counting. “At Choice, we’re committed to building a better tomorrow, today. By championing sustainable practices, we’re helping hotel owners save time and money and appeal to guests and corporate clients,”...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, is simplifying the sustainability journey for members by integrating the industry association’s Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) framework into its platform. The partnership will enable WTTC to scale its Hotel Sustainability Basics more effectively, broadening its reach and impact within the hospitality industry. By centralizing relevant data within the BeCause platform, the global association will have greater visibility into which hotels have completed the framework and which ones are lagging, empowering it to advocate for more sustainable hotel operations globally. Similarly, hotel management...

BELLEVUE, WASH.—Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, has taken significant steps to strengthen its commitment to sustainable business practices and achieve its goal of providing a greener guest experience. “Staypineapple has taken great strides in its contribution of building a better, more sustainable environment for our guests, team members and communities,” said Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple. “In 2023, we made a number of commitments to reduce our company’s overall carbon footprint and are pleased to announce that we have accomplished several of our major green initiative goals and are on a steady trajectory with our year-by-year commitments of reducing...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Booking.com has released new research, with insights gathered from more than 31,000 travelers across 34 countries and territories, exploring the latest consumer attitudes, priorities and influences related to sustainable travel. While the annual research reveals a continued sense of desire and awareness, with 83 percent of travelers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, new insights show a sense of weariness could be emerging globally, fueled by the ongoing challenges that travelers experience to make more sustainable travel choices. The recent study shows that almost half (45 percent) feel traveling more sustainably is important, but not a primary consideration...

ATLANTA—In celebration of Earth Day, Atrius, part of Acuity Brands, Inc., announced it has won two awards from leading sustainability media companies Environment + Energy (E+E) Leader and ESG Investing for the second consecutive year. Its carbon accounting and ESG reporting software, Atrius Sustainability, was recognized by both programs as one of the best solutions available today thanks to the brand’s commitment to ongoing innovation and market responsiveness. Demonstrations of this include the release of its free, entry-level version of the platform, Atrius Sustainability Starter; its ability to provide third-party assurance of carbon emissions data to both Starter and Enterprise customers; and its data-agnostic...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. has verified its near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). SBTi is a global climate action organization that develops tools that allow businesses to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets in line with data-driven methodology. Marriott is the largest global hospitality company to receive approval for both near-term and long-term science-based targets. The company has committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 46.2 percent by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Marriott also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from fuel and energy-related...

BEND, ORE.—MindClick, the hospitality industry’s data and analytics solution for environmentally and socially responsible design and purchasing, is expanding its reach with its Hospitality Sustainable Design Collaborative. Created with support from Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Highgate Hotels, along with trusted suppliers, the Collaborative is a free program intended for interior designers, specifiers, and purchasing decision-makers. The Collaborative includes an online educational series, an accreditation program, and awards and recognition program. The first program in the online educational series, “Climate Change & Carbon Emissions, How Design Choices Can Make a Local and Global Impact,” was held on April 9 and had 234...

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, is gearing up to offer a new digital tool that helps global hotel chains meet their reporting and compliance obligations under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Starting in the second half of 2024, hotels utilizing BeCause’s enterprise solution will gain access to a digitized version of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the first-ever mandatory and standardized sustainability framework for companies in Europe. With this solution, hotels can efficiently collect and create audit-ready reports on their sustainability data. Current BeCause users will...

ATLANTA—Davidson Hospitality Group announces its renewed commitment to sustainability and conservational efforts through streamlined engineering management, strategic operational partnerships, robust food and beverage programs, and differentiated guest experiences. “Staying true to our core value of ‘Create Value in All that You Do,’ we are continually focused on identifying areas within our portfolio to save, reuse and conserve,” said Davidson Hospitality Group CEO Thom Geshay. “As environmental stewards, sustaining responsible operations is critical, and we are proud of the progress we have made to contribute to a healthier, cleaner and nontoxic planet.” Stop Food Waste Day Started in 2017 by Compass Group USA, Stop Food Waste...