FEE's Annual Report features Green Key's 2019 achievements

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has recently published the 2019 Annual Report. The document displays the major developments, achievements and stories on both national and international level of all FEE programmes, including Green Key, that happened during the year 2019.

Click on the picture to access the full annual report

Green Key celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019 with another year of international growth, collaboration and new partnerships. Among the key highlights, Green Key signed new agreements and extended existing ones with three major hotel chains :

• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company, initiated a collaboration agreement with Green Key to support Wyndham’s sustainability efforts for their hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia.

• Green Key will play a prominent role in helping the NH Hotel Group achieve ambitious sustainability goals for their hotels around the world.

• Radisson Hotel Group and Green Key renewed their agreement for another three years and expanded it to include hotels in the Asia-Pacific region.

The year of 2019 was also marked by several new corporate partnerships with Werner-Mertz, Ecolab, ACT.Global and Divello to promote sustainability in the hospitality industry through the companies’ innovative products.

Green Key also continued its relationships with many other valued corporate, institutional, web and NGO partners in 2019. Among others, Green Key International Director Finn Bolding Thomsen was present at the 50th Anniversary World Forum of the World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (AMFORHT) to make presentations about Green Key and FEE.

Furthermore, Green Key initiated in 2019 a revision process of the criteria and explanatory notes for 2021-2025 to further strengthen the Green Key programme in the years to come.

Last but not least, the first Green Key establishments in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Brazil, Suriname, Colombia and Australia were awarded in 2019. With more than 3,200 Green Key awarded hospitality establishments in 65 countries, Green Key reiterates its support to the development of the Sustainable Development Goals through the tourism industry.

Likewise, all four FEE’s programmes, namely Blue Flag, YRE, Leaf and Eco-Schools are also displayed in the Annual Report that you can check out by clicking here.

Exploring marine life in an educational submarine

The Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort in Mauritius, which has recently been awarded the Green Key for the 4th time, takes their youngest guests on a very special dive.

© Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort

In February, the Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort in collaboration with Reef Conservation, a local non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the marine environment of Mauritius, installed a new educational centre at the resort’s kids club which is truly one of it’s kind.

The educational centre in the shape of a yellow submarine is entered through a slide that brings the children to a colorful underwater vessel scenery. It is equipped with recycled mini stools, a television, a telescope, air conditioning and a magnetic board with various posters about the protection of the sea.

There are many activities and materials available in the centre, from ocean sensory activities to artwork, educational posters and workshops on marine life and marine sciences. By mixing both fun and science, the aim of this submarine is to raise children’s awareness about the fragility of the ocean’s ecosystems, the problems of environmental pollution and make them understand the importance of conservation.

Through involvement and active participation, the children learn to care about our oceans and marine life which is important to shape their attitude towards the environment and their behaviour in the future.

© Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort

#GreenKeyCares

The world is in the grip of COVID-19, and tourism is undoubtedly one of the industries that has been hit hardest by the pandemic. Green Key feels strong empathy with all affected establishments and wants to use its network to share best practices, inspiration and hope.

Click on the image to download the info graphic

Only a few weeks ago, nobody would have thought it possible that the whole travel industry would be put on pause. And yet, we find ourselves in this surreal situation where a holiday, a business trip or even a visit to friends and family has become something unobtainable. While most travellers #stayathome, cancel their longed-for trips and daydream about their next holiday someday in the future, tourism businesses fight to survive until they are able to welcome guests again.

We at Green Key know that many of our awarded establishments are struggling too, and we understand that their work towards sustainability is either not possible or not the highest priority at the moment. However, issues like climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss are not taking a break during the pandemic, and they will be more relevant than ever when we go back to ‘business as usual’.

Therefore, to encourage our awarded establishments to stay in the Green Key programme, we have made a plan of action to maintain your award during the crisis while still ensuring the highest sustainability standards. If you are an awarded establishment and would like to know what that means for your current Green Key award, please contact your National Operator or Green Key International.

Furthermore, Green Key International has gathered some tips on how you can sustain your business during and after the crisis. You can download the info graphic here: COVID-19 tips.

In addition, Green Key International has launched the #GreenKeyCares campaign to share best practices and the great stories of solidarity in our network. We were touched to see that so many businesses, though they are struggling themselves, are still spreading hope and supporting their local communities.

If you have a similar story to tell or if you have any helpful tips for other tourism businesses that you would like to share, please contact us or use our hashtag #GreenKeyCares on social media.

Let’s use the power of the Green Key network to support each other in these difficult times.

Take care and be safe,

The Green Key International Team

Member Feature - Park Inn by Radisson, Nairobi Westlands

Park Inn by Radisson, Westlands in Nairobi has once again been awarded the Green Key International Certification in 2020 for its work towards environmental responsibility and sustainable operations within the tourism industry.

Since it opened in 2017, the hotel has excelled in driving Radisson Hotel Group’s three Responsible Business Pillars; Think Planet, Think People and Think Community, all while delivering first class guest comfort.

The hotel uses 95% LED lighting and solar power for heating water, significantly saving on energy consumption and costs. Water stewardship is promoted in various ways including through installation of water-efficient equipment and fittings, as well as involvement of guests in a towel and linen recycling programme. There is also a high-tech reverse osmosis plant in the basement that produces drinkable water available from every tap in the hotel.

Staff are equipped to understand and practice sustainability at work and beyond, through continuous training and information updates on the initiatives by the hotel. Principles of gender empowerment are well demonstrated with more ladies in leadership positions than men. The hotel communicates its efforts to guests through information screens in the main lobby area and TVs in guest rooms.

All suppliers are empowered to practice responsible business through a comprehensive code of conduct that touches on human rights, business ethics and anti-corruption, and environmental sustainability.  Meaningful engagement with the local community is also important to the hotel, with clean-ups around the hotel, tree planting, and support for children at SOS Children’s Village Nairobi all long-term commitments to impact positively on society.

Green Key Kenya is proud to have Park Inn by Radisson, Nairobi Westlands in the programme!

Learn more about the hotel here

Coco Hotel – A new hotel by sustainable restaurant chain Cofoco

The new hotel Coco Hotel in central Copenhagen has been awarded the Green Key. Behind Coco Hotel is a chain of restaurants that is built on a sustainable foundation.

Copyright : Coco Hotel

Coco hotel was opened in Vesterbro, a trendy area of Copenhagen. It includes 90 rooms, and the building was completely renovated for the occasion. The hotel is owned by the Danish restaurant group Cofoco, and is the first hotel to be opened by the group. The Cofoco group already owns 12 restaurants in Copenhagen, all with unique concepts and cuisines.

Sustainable efforts as well as animal welfare are becoming a vital part of their daily business. Among other environmental initiatives, the Cofoco group is self-sufficient with sustainable energy that is generated by the group's own solar park in Northern Jutland.

“Coco Hotel shares Cofoco’s values and there is no doubt about the fact that the hotel’s sustainability efforts are ambitious and valuable.”

— Mikal Holt Jensen, Danish Green Key National Operator

Café Coco mainly serves organic products, and plastic bottles are not to be found in the minibar. All towels and bed linens are made from organic cotton. The building has all new energy– and water-efficient facilities and, like the Cofoco restaurants, the hotel is also supplied with renewable energy from the solar panel park.

You can read more about Coco Hotel by clicking on the following link: https://coco-hotel.com.

Source: Green Key Denmark (https://bit.ly/39BCPVu)

Kallichoron receives Hellenic Responsible Business Award for its CSR&S Initiative “Kallichoron Room2Give!"

Kallichoron Art Boutique Hotel from the Greek Island of Astypalea received on February 24, 2020 the Gold Hellenic Responsible Business Award in the category of Collaboration with the local Communities for its Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiative “Kallichoron Room2Give” for actively supporting the local community projects with special focus on Astypalea’s younger generation, but also the protection of the environment and the responsible use of the available resources.

Various green offerings and give aways as part of Kallichoron Goes Green initiative, like fairtrade cotton bag, local handpicked herbal tea, Kallichoron Green Stories initiative with Taf coffee as an attempt to reuse used coffee beans, organic, locally produce soap or Kallichoron bike rental program.

Kallichoron introduced the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) “Room2Give” initiative in 2015, and since then, with the help from its visitors, it has actively been involved in a number of activities for children and young adults and cultural activities where possible, including:

• Purchase of books for the children's lending library of the Astypalea Nursery and Narkissios Lending Library of Astypalea.

• Scholarship for young students for studies on Tourism in collaboration with IST College and Axion Hellas.

• Providing the courtyard area of ​​the Astypalean Nursery with equipment and toys, and continuous support of the teachers and the Parents and Guardians Association efforts to improve existing infrastructure.

• Day of creative work and painting at the Nursery school of Astypalea with the painter
  and artist, Gefso Papadakis, on "I paint the world I dream of".

• Support of Axion Hellas and +plefsi activities.

• Beach cleaning initiatives in collaboration with HELMEPA.

Kallichoron active participation and support in beach cleaning activities organized either locally or as part of wider environmental activities.

For the last year, Kallichoron has started collecting funds for establishing a Robotics school on Astypalea Island, which will be a project with huge impact to the local society.

The Hellenic Responsible Business Awards is the first significant initiative of promotion and reward of Greek Businesses, who choose to do “the right thing” and lead by example by implementing on a daily basis actions to protect the environment, to support marginalized communities and to empower life-long learning. The ceremony took place in the Pireos 138, Benaki Museum on February 24, 2020 and was presented by the journalist Elena Papadimitriou.

Chairman of the jury was George Vernicos, Economic and Social Council of Greece. Among the winners of the evening were Vodafone, KPMG, Mitilineos Group, Greek Gold, Lafarge and Hellenic Petroleum, while Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, Minister of Development and Investment, addressed the audience and welcomed the awarded initiatives for their activities.

Maria Mavroudi and Carolina Alkalai, co-founders and General Managers of Kallichoron Art Boutique Hotel receiving the Gold Hellenic Responsible Business Awards 2020.

“We are delighted to receive this Award, which is special to us, as it reflects our commitment to work towards sustainable tourism, support local community and welfare. Purpose defines the identity of a business and the reason it exists, forming the benchmark to every decision. At Kallichoron, and as we grow as a hotel business, what drives everything we do is our collective and individual commitment to operate in a responsible manner and in line with our values. The trust of our guests, community and our people place at Kallichoron, alongside our high standards to ethical behavior, is fundamental to our actions and this award encourages us to work harder." said Maria Mavroudi, co-founder and General Manager of Kallichoron Art Boutique Hotel.

Carolina Alkalai, co-founder and Hotel Manager of Kallichoron continued "This award is yet another incentive to continue offering great, innovative services to our guests, in a sustainable manner and with responsibility. Thank you for your support all these years, and we hope we don’t ever disappoint!”

Notably, Kallichoron Art Boutique Hotel has also been awarded for Best Greek Hotel at the Greek Tourism Awards that were held last year at the famous Golden Hall, known as the Nobel’s Hall, in Stockholm. Nevertheless, Kallichoron‘s personalized breakfast service known as “Grandma’s Breakfast” was also named Best Greek Hotel Breakfast at the Greek Hospitality Awards 2019.

Green Key present at the “I Meet Hotel Conference - Amsterdam Edition” together with hospitality and travel professionals

Green Key was present at the “I Meet Hotel Conference - Amsterdam Edition” on 6 March 2020 at The Heineken Experience Centre, together with hospitality and travel professionals.

The conference organises speech sessions about the latest marketing, sustainability, technology and management trends in the hospitality industry. This year, the emphasize is put on the future of hospitality in a context of climate change and Green Key has already had the opportunity to be part of the discussion on 15 January 2020 during the Istanbul edition.

The Managing Director of KMVK Foundation (the Dutch organisation that runs Green Key in the Netherlands) Erik van Dijk represented Green Key and shared his long experience in hospitality and tourism. With over 600 Green Key certified establishments, including almost 360 hotels, the Netherlands has the biggest number of Green Key awarded establishments worldwide.

The aim of the panel discussion entitled "Climate emergency: the future of sustainability and your hotels" was to discuss the effects of climate change on the hospitality industry and why it is vital for the industry to take concrete actions to become more environmentally responsible. Furthermore, the demand for sustainability is growing since travellers and consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and the hoteliers need to adapt to these changes.

Together with other experts, Erik van Dijk discussed the growing concerns over sustainability and the way over-tourism is changing people’s travel patterns. The panel provided the attendees with effective solutions that hotels can implement to lower their environmental footprint. An emphasis was put on the role of Green Key in this matter. Among others, lowering the use of single used plastic to a minimum, offering more vegan food and reducing food waste are one of the hottest topics for the upcoming years the hospitality industry should work on to be more sustainable.

Every fifth hotel in Denmark is green

The Danish tourism organisation, VisitDenmark, recently published a report on sustainability in the hotel industry in Denmark showing that every fifth hotel is a Green Key awarded hotel.

In order for hotels to be awarded with the Green Key, they must fulfill an important number of stringent environmental requirements. The current 142 Green Key awarded hotels account for 20 per cent of all hotels and 40 per cent of all hotel stays in Denmark.

The Green Key eco-label helps tourists choose the most sustainable hotel to spend a night while traveling in Denmark.

“The report is a first step towards getting an overview of what Denmark can offer to those tourists for whom sustainability is an important travel motive”

— VisitDenmark's Analysis Manager Helle Damkjær

In VisitDenmark's latest sustainability analysis, 38 per cent of Germans and 36 per cent of Swedes responded that their travel choices were highly dependent on environmentally friendly and sustainable considerations.

“It is therefore good news that it is now possible to choose from 142 green hotels when you, as a tourist, need to find accommodation in Denmark. This fits well with the government’s ambition for Denmark to be the most sustainable destination.”

— Helle Damkjær

Green Key hotels make an extra effort to protect the environment

Green Key’s international eco-label is given to tourism companies that make extra efforts to protect the environment. Even though the label is present in 60 countries today, it was originally a Danish invention by HORESTA, with whom VisitDenmark collaborated to prepare the report.

In Denmark, Green Key hotels are on average twice the size of other hotels in terms of number of beds and rooms. Most of them are 4-star, located in Copenhagen and attract more business travelers than other hotels.

“Green Key hotels have more business nights than other hotels, and we expect that business nights will increasingly take place at eco-labeled hotels. In addition to that, Green Key has positively contributed to the decrease of the hotel accommodation’s CO2 footprint in the recent years.”

— HORESTA's environmental manager and Green Key National Operator Mikal Holt Jensen

You can access the VisitDenmark´s article and survey by clicking on the following link: https://bit.ly/2xhHi16 (information in Danish).

Source: VisitDenmark

Youth in Nordic countries prefer environmentally friendly travel

Research carried out by Hotels.com shows that millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) in the Nordic countries are willing to change their travel habits for the sake of the climate.

According to the “Millennials on the Move” study, 41% of millennials in the Nordic countries are willing to take action to travel in a more climate-friendly way. This is especially the case for young people from Finland, where the figure is 58%.

Destination choice plays a role for the millennials that wish to travel more environmentally friendly: 21% indicate that they have avoided long-distance trips, and 37% only travel to destinations that can be reached by public transportation, ship or train.

Emma Tagg from Hotels.com says: "It is clear that Nordic millennials pay attention to climate-friendly types of travel and how they can actively do something for the environment”. Almost half (47%) of those interviewed agree that their changed travel habits can make a difference for the environment. “We at Hotels.com are aware of this situation and we expect this trend to be even stronger in 2020”.

The “Millennials on the Move” study was done by YouGov for Hotels.com in the period from 1-14 October 2019 in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. 4,000 people – around 1,000 from each country – participated in the survey. The figures in this survey relate to question 11, 12 and 12a in the survey.

 Source: Hotels.com