Ascott Limited has announced it will further its commitment to sustainability within the tourism industry through a strategic partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Both Parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see industry leaders and professionals in Singapore jointly trained and equipped with sustainability ideals.
The country has set out a roadmap for hotel sustainability, implementing a regulation that at least 60 percent of hotel room stock in Singapore are to achieve internationally recognised sustainability certifications by 2025.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Ascott Centre for Excellence’s Learning Festival in Singapore, which has trained almost 20,000 hospitality professionals to date.
CapitaLand Investment chief financial and sustainability officer for lodging, Beh Siew Kim, said that within Singapore, there is a hope that there will be a shift in the region’s sustainable footprint, and to encourage local hospitality establishments to achieve targets.
“As a global hospitality company, Ascott is well-placed to contribute to capability-building in the industry through this collaboration. Our extended partnership with GSTC marks an important milestone for us in our sustainability journey,” said Kim.
Ascott was one of the first hospitality groups to be officially conferred to the Global Sustainability Tourism Council’s recognised standard status, and through the collaboration, the Ascott Centre for Excellence will serve as the first partner to run onsite training in Singapore.
Global Sustainability Tourism Council’s chief executive officer, Randy Durband, said that staff training is essential for operating a hotel more sustainably and for eventually seeking external review and a certification mark.
“We are impressed that Ascott is committed to continuous improvement in sustainable practices in all their properties and that they recognise the need to extend and facilitate this training for the broader industry. As such we’re pleased that they chose to base the training on the GSTC Criteria as a pathway to holistic sustainability.”
