5,000 Hotels Worldwide Adopt WTTC's Hotel Sustainability Basics Initiative

Image: Sustainability takes many forms. (Photo Credit: narawit / Adobe Stock)

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Thu August 8, 2024

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics program has reached a key milestone, with more than 5,000 properties across over 80 countries joining the initiative to become more sustainable.

The independent verification program is supervised by assessors Green Key and SGS, and offers a 12-step criteria for hotels of any size to reduce carbon emissions, energy and water consumption and improve waste management, all while ensuring local communities directly benefit from hotel operations.

Hotel brands including Jin Jian, Choice Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group, Accor and Louvre Hotels Group have all joined. In Japan, the Japan Tourism Board partnered with the WTTC to launch a pilot program for its hotels. And in India, WTTC members The Indian Hotels Company Limited, Radisson India, WTTC India Initiative, Hotel Association of India and MakeMyTrip are joining forces to launch Hotel Sustainability Basics across the country.

The Hotel Sustainability Basics program has been growing at an unprecedented rate since its debut in January: in March, it celebrated 1,700 members, yet by May, it had grown to welcome 3,400 members. Due to its global popularity, the program is available in multiple languages, with resources in English, French, Spanish and Japanese.

“WTTC's Hotel Sustainability Basics is a powerful testament to our collective effort in promoting sustainable practices in the hospitality industry,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “Surpassing 5,000 verified properties is more than just a milestone; it demonstrates Travel & Tourism’s readiness to embrace sustainability globally. This initiative unites hotels, industry partners, and sustainability standards to create a resilient, responsible, and planet-friendly future.”