Iniciativas Eco-responsables y RSE

🏡 Representatives from Madrid's luxury hotel industry, convened by Eco-One, agree that sustainability is not currently profitable but is essential for future generations. Four Seasons Madrid invested €40,000 in artificial intelligence for kitchens, reducing food waste by nine tons and gaining a €60,000 return in four months. Bless Madrid reused furniture for economic impact, while Rosewood Villa Magna donated 5% of Christmas earnings to a children's cancer charity and repurposed linens for staff uniforms and guest gifts. Urso Hotel & Spa heats spa water with solar panels and adds a 10% surcharge on vending machine products for charity. VP Plaza España Design outsourced waste separation to an external company for better management and cleaner bins.

🏢 Luis M. Zamora, Grupo Iberostar's director of People, at the III Global Summit by Ilunion Hotels, discussed the importance of attracting talent in the tourism industry through a responsible model, with vocational training and professional development. Iberostar employs 35,000 staff, caring for 3.5 to 4 million clients annually, offers 330,000 hours of training, and fills 24.5% of new positions through internal promotion. The company operates in Canarias, Baleares, Andalucía, Mexico, Jamaica, with programs underway in Dominican Republic and Cuba. Pilot initiatives for employee well-being have been implemented in two hotels in Baleares and one in Mexico, reducing turnover. Iberostar promotes inclusivity among its workforce, comprising 95 nationalities across 14 countries and five generations.

🌲 Casual Hoteles, with 25 hotels in 13 cities across Spain, Italy, and Portugal, launched ReTree project in May, planting 150 trees in Teruel's steppe where a dense forest existed over 500 years ago. In four months, the forest grew to over 500 trees, covering 5,599 m2. This initiative has absorbed 1.2 tons of CO2, equivalent to three Madrid-London flights, saved 4.8 m3 of water, and created 153 hours of rural employment. Guests contribute by forgoing room cleaning.

🏕 Mallorca will host the III Summit of Sustainable Destinations on October 17-18, addressing challenges and opportunities for tourist destinations towards sustainability. The event, inaugurated by Marga Prohens and Llorenç Galmés, features keynote speaker Zoritsa Urosevic from UN Tourism. Nearly 40 representatives from various organizations like the Atlantic Sustainable Tourism Observatory and FAO will participate across eight panels and three interventions. The summit includes stakeholders like TUI Group and Visit Berlin.

🏖️ Hoteliers in the Balearic Islands accept that the 'ecotasa' (tourism tax) will not be abolished and will increase during the summer months. President Marga Prohens (PP), after over a year in office since May 2023, has not removed the tax, defying hoteliers' expectations. Prohens, with little connection to hoteliers unlike past relationships spanning 41 years, inherited the tax created in 2016. Despite industry concerns, the tax remains due to its lack of social opposition and significant revenue generation.

🏖 Turismo Comunidad Valenciana issued the first 500 "Viaja +65" vouchers on a Friday, offering a 40% discount for 5 to 10-night stays with half board for travel in the last quarter of the year. The pilot program, with over one million euros in funding, anticipates more than 7,000 users and 50,000 off-peak overnight stays. Reservations can be made between October 14 and December 20 with about 70 participating accommodations, including 57 hotels, mostly in Alicante. The program has 194 registered businesses, with Alicante leading at 85, followed by Valencia (78), and Castellón (31). The maximum subsidized cost ranges from 600 to 900 euros, depending on whether travelers are solo or with a companion.

🏖️ The III Ágora de Turismo Sostenible, organized by Green & Human and Hosteltur at Umusic Hotel Teatro Albéniz in Madrid, attracted over 300 attendees. The Spanish Government, represented by Secretary of State for Tourism Rosario Sánchez, aims to position Spain as "the world's most sustainable tourist destination." The introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), scheduled for November 14, was postponed with no new date, as France, Germany, and the Netherlands are not ready, according to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

🏡 In Granada on October 10, 2024, the ITH hosted the ITH Hotel Energy Meetings 2024 to promote energy efficiency in hotels. Key participants included officials like Juan Ramón Ferreira and Marta Nievas, with a 40 million euro sustainability grant announced by the Junta de Andalucía. The event addressed renewable energy, self-consumption, and management, and encouraged joining the ITHSaveHotel program for immediate economic savings and improved facility comfort. Experts discussed heating, cooling, ventilation, and energy management solutions tailored to various types of tourist establishments.

🏕 On October 10th, Madrid hosts the third edition of Ágora de Turismo Sostenible organized by Green & Human and Hosteltur, featuring over 20 sector leaders such as Simón Pedro Barceló. CONESTUR unanimously supports responsible tourism, advancing the 2030 Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Boeing's Seattle plant strike since September 13th stalls production; the company withdrew a 30% wage hike offer. High travel costs deter long-distance tourists from visiting Europe, with a 4% decline in plans to visit from September to December 2024 compared to last year, as per ETC and Eurail BV's survey of 7,000 travelers.

🌎 The Ayuntamiento de Madrid shifted its tourism strategy five years ago towards sustainability, focusing on quality over quantity, aiming to increase visitor stays and spread tourism benefits across local residents. Almudena Maíllo, Madrid's tourism councilor, highlighted the cross-sectional approach covering economic, social, and environmental aspects, including carbon footprint measurement for tourists and businesses. The III Ágora de Turismo Sostenible, where Maíllo will speak, is scheduled for October 10 at the Teatro Albéniz in Madrid.