Holiday getaways are about switching off, reconnecting and creating new memories. For many families, this means the joy of time spent outdoors. Breakfasts cooked on a ‘skottel’, fires lit for a braai as dusk turns into evening, star gazing, muddy shoes after hillside walks, the fun of discovery. These are the moments children remember. But holidays can also teach something far more lasting: nature is not only something we enjoy, but it is also something we learn to cherish and care for.

Bhutan and Chiang Khan in Thailand have received the prestigious Green Destinations ‘Silver’ certification awards. For Bhutan regarded as the first carbon-negative country in the world, the Green Destination Silver Award is yet another significant achievement in the field of sustainable tourism.

With the spotlight on sustainability like never before, the hospitality industry the world over can – and is – playing a key role in supporting government ESG initiatives and green goals.

The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) received multiple awards and honorable mentions from Airports Going Green® (AGG), the aviation industry’s leading forum on sustainability led by the Chicago Department of Aviation and co-hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

Dubai Can, the citywide sustainability movement launched on 15 February 2022 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has seen a reduction in the usage of an equivalent of more than 3.5 million 500 ml single-use plastic water bottles.

Travellers now require higher levels of transparency of a company’s environmental performance. GlobalData’s 2021 Consumer Survey has found that almost 75% of global consumers think the introduction of sustainability labels on products should be mandatory.