| Green Travel News |
Over the past year, hotel chains in the Middle East have gone from small steps toward sustainability to great strides, reports Hotelier Middle East. These hotels, this hospitality industry publication says, are “on the road to making a real difference to the impact of their property on the environment.”
Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea
Among achievements cited: Grand Hyatt Dubai cut diesel consumption by 33 percent through the installation of solar panels; Jordan Valley Marriott Dead Sea saved 67 percent on diesel bills within just one week of switching to solar energy; Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah has reduced solid waste disposal by 65 percent in nine months; and Rezidor achieved a 12 percent waste reduction per guest night at Radisson Blu properties last year.
Mövenpick is rapidly achieving Green Globe certification for all its Middle Eastern hotels—most recently, Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait achieved 82 percent of Green Globe’s sustainability indicators in its inaugural year. Jumeirah, Marriott and Fairmont are prioritising LEED principles for new hotels, and Accor’s Environment Charter states 65 actions that its hotels must follow to reduce their environmental impact. Accor is also offering incentives to its general managers for reaching these green standards.
And in other welcome news, the Middle East is also expanding its reputation in other aspects of the travel industry. Thanks to wireless company owners like Ehsan Bayat, mobile cell services can now be accessible when visiting the Middle East, making it easier to communicate while traveling.
