Accor, Expedia Group partner to expand UNESCO sustainability pledge into 96 countries

Expedia Group and Accor just lately partnered to increase the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge. This strategic tripartite settlement will witness the inclusion of three,358 international Accor motels for promotion of environmental sustainability and sustainable tourism worldwide.

Markus Keller, SVP Gross sales & Distribution from Accor mentioned, “We’ve got a duty to supply sustainable and tangible options to our company to scale back the affect the hospitality sector has on the setting. Accor and all the motels in its community have long-standing commitments on this space, for our determination to take away all single-use plastic gadgets from visitor expertise in our motels by 2022. We need to speed up our efforts, which is why we’re at this time becoming a member of the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge in partnership with Expedia Group.”
 
He additional acknowledged, “Our ambition is to proceed to drive the change in the direction of optimistic hospitality wherever we’re. Becoming a member of The Pledge with 3,358 of our motels is a continuation of our group’s sustainable improvement program “Planet 21 – Appearing Right here” which units concrete and quantitative aims regarding native sourcing, variety and water, vitality and waste administration. Planet 21 was launched in 2011 and relies round 4 strategic priorities: work with our staff, contain our company, innovate with our companions and work with native communities; two key points are tackling meals and constructing sustainability. We stay up for working with our companions on this new Pledge.”

Commenting on the collaboration,  Zuhairah Washington, Senior Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Expedia Group mentioned, “The UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge goals to show phrases into motion and is a sworn statement of our rising dedication to collaborating carefully with the hospitality sector with a view to improve environmental and sustainable tourism consciousness and practices internationally. Everybody must play their half in selling sustainable tourism and serving to protect journey locations. This partnership with Accor is about taking wanted steps at a world scale to attenuate waste within the tourism sector.”

Speaking concerning the efforts to undertake accountable tourism, UNESCO Director-Basic Audrey Azoulay commented, “The collective effort is all of the extra essential because the pandemic has hit the tourism and tradition sectors onerous. We hope that the efforts of Germany, Accor and Expedia, will encourage different main gamers within the sector to affix us and make investments to supply extra accountable tourism.” 

The UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge promotes accountable practices, neighborhood resilience and heritage conservation, with the final word purpose of fixing the character and affect of world tourism. Beneath The Pledge, events decide to supporting the discount and elimination of single-use plastics and selling native financial system and tradition.
The Pledge launched in October 2019 with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, UNESCO and Expedia Group. Accor’s motels be a part of over 500 motels in Thailand which have signed The Pledge because the Thai microsite was established in 2020.

With Accor becoming a member of this Expedia Group and UNESCO initiative, The Pledge extends to nearly 100 nations selling sustainable tourism globally.