The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics started the new year on a high, with 22 African accommodations having achieved verification.
The Hotel Sustainability Basics is an independent global sustainability verification programme, overseen by internationally recognised verifiers, Green Key and SGS.
The aim is for hotels around the world, regardless of their size, to follow a 12-step programme to reduce carbon emissions, protect and promote nature, and ensure local communities benefit from the hotel.
According to WTTC, the steps are achievable for all hotels to implement, and act as a stepping-stone to more complex sustainability schemes.
Accommodations are required to meet a minimum of eight of the criteria outlined in the 12-step programme and must have established a realistic road map to achieving the remaining four to receive verification.
The 12 steps to receiving a sustainability verification encompass:
Efficiency: Accommodations must take a robust approach to measuring and reducing the consumptions of energy and water, and the production of waste and carbon emissions.
Planet: Requires accommodation owners to practise environmental best practices, including reusing linen, using green cleaning products, offering vegetarian meal options, and banning the use of plastic straws or stirrers, single-use plastics, replacing plastic bottles, and single-use toiletry dispensers.
People: Prioritising a positive contribution towards local communities that reside within proximity of each accommodation site. This extends to providing community benefits and reducing inequalities.
African accommodations with ‘Basic’ verification are:
- Mauritius - Preskil Island Resort
- South Africa - Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton Johannesburg, Park Inn By Radisson Cape Town Foreshore, Radisson Red Rosebank, Radisson Blu Durban Umhlanga, Radisson RED Cape Town
- Rwanda - Park Inn by Radisson Kigali
- Ethiopia - Radisson Blu Hotel Addis Ababa
- South Sudan - Radisson Blu Juba
- Nigeria - Radisson Hotel Lagos Ikeja
- Botswana - Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp, Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero
- Zambia - Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma
- Kenya - Sanctuary Tambarare, Sanctuary Olonana, Park Inn by Radisson Nairobi Westlands
- Uganda - Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
- Tanzania - Sanctuary Swala Camp, Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp
