August 26th, 2015 – In TUI Group’s recently released Sustainable Holidays Report 2014, the multinational travel and tourism company highlights continued work on their sustainability program. TUI had identified four goals in their three-year sustainability program, related to the priority areas of destinations, carbon, colleagues and customers. The report provides updates on the progress made toward those goals, as well as the specific commitments made surrounding those goals.
The original goal for destinations was to provide 10 million ‘greener and fairer’ holidays between 2012 and 2014. This goal was surpassed, as the total number of TUI customers staying in hotels with sustainability certifications, such as those recognized by the GSTC, is now greater than 11.5 million, including more than 5.5 million in 2014 alone. TUI now features over 5,900 hotels with sustainability certifications, up from 850 in 2012. Of these, approximately 1,300 were certified by GSTC-Recognized schemes.
TUI Group’s goal related to carbon was to operate Europe’s most fuel-efficient airlines and save more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon from their ground operations. TUI airlines’ carbon emissions were 69.9g per revenue passenger kilometer, which ranked them as the most fuel-efficient in Europe. The company consistently surpassed their stated emission reduction targets, and is working toward achieving ISO 14001 certification for all of TUI airlines. TUI Group also achieved all of its commitments related to carbon on the ground and at sea.
TUI set a goal to be rated by its colleagues as a leader in sustainability by 2015. Highlights of success related to this goal include over 33,000 hours of volunteering since 2012, over 4.4 million euros contributed by TUI businesses, colleagues and customers to more than 70 charities in 2014, and TUI executives presenting on sustainable tourism to international stakeholders at over 90 events since the launch of the Sustainable Holidays Plan. Among the presenters is TUI Group’s Sustainability Director, Jane Ashton, who is also on the board of directors of the GSTC.
The final goal was that customers will regard TUI as a leader in delivering more sustainable holidays. In 2014, consumers in five of TUI’s six key source markets considered TUI brands to be the leading holiday companies in terms of environmental and social responsibility.
The report also highlights the recognition TUI Group has received from external experts in sustainability. In particular, TUI Group ranked joint first with a ‘perfect 100’ score in the FTSE 350 from the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index and was the only tourism group featured in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, as well as receiving other global recognition related to sustainability.
Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC, said, «We congratulate TUI Group for their continued commitment to improving the sustainability of their product offerings. Their actions are both reacting to and stimulating ever-increasing demand for sustainable travel product. This report lists a large number of laudable activities, but at GSTC we’re especially delighted to note on pages 9 and 10 of the report their focus on preferential use of hotels that are certified sustainable and their efforts to measure sustainability factors at a destination.»
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; and educates about and advocates for a set of universal principles, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria, a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe, is the cornerstone of our initiative. For more information, visit www.gstcouncil.org.
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