Marriott International Commits to Sustainability

The hotel industry juggernaut has set itself ambitious sustainability targets, which by 2025 will have made a significant difference to their environmental and social footprint.

During the next five years Marriott International, which operates a global portfolio of 7,200 properties under 30 brands, is aiming for:

• 45% decrease in waste to landfill
• 50% decrease in food waste
• 15% decrease in water usage
• 30% decrease in carbon intensity
• Achieve minimum 30% renewable energy use
• 100% of hotels certified to a recognised sustainability standard.

The vehicle being used to drive change and operational evolution throughout their hotel network is a global programme called Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which the group launched in 2017.

Two years into the programme and Marriott International is seeing a raft of innovative sustainability initiatives at work and making a positive impact locally, regionally and globally.

Group President, Marriott International Asia Pacific, Craig Smith, said properties throughout the region all were actively participating in the programme and working to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in and implementing operational changes including initiatives to engage guests and local community groups.

“Travellers are increasingly concerned about the impact of tourism on the destinations they visit, so it’s important that we are transparent with our sustainability efforts and how we’re progressing,” Mr Smith said.

“We’ve made some great strides in advancing sustainability in Asia Pacific over the past two years, and we will continue to positively impact the communities and environments in which we operate.”

It’s not just leisure travellers that are focused on more eco-friendly practices. The hotel group highlighted a significant shift in the business travel sector in 2019, with corporate clients placing a greater emphasis on the sustainability component of their hotel programme Request for Proposals (RFPs).

Corporate clients are now attributing more value to this aspect of hotel RFPs, asking more questions and requiring suppliers to provide in-depth information on their sustainability efforts.

Mr Smith said that as the largest hotel group in the world, Marriott International, would continue to use its size and scale to drive positive environmental and social change to meet the changing mindset of staff, guests, corporate clients and the broader travel industry.  

About Flight Centre Travel Group

The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.