business travel FORUM
S ervi c e d a c c o mm o d ati o n
buying power Steps are being taken to help buyers choose the most sustainable serviced accommodation and drive change
A
matrix to help buyers compare the sustainability credentials of serviced accommodation was one of the initiatives shared with corporate travel buyers at a Business Travel Lunch Forum, organised by The Business Travel Magazine, the first dedicated to the serviced accommodation sector. Buyers were told that a coalition of six associations, including the ASAP, has enlisted consultants Deloitte to help the sector create a common language around sustainability and, crucially, a method to measure the footprint of individual extended-stay properties. The coalition is also devising a matrix that can be used by corporates in RFPs so they
can judge the progress of a potential partner in their sustainability journey. “Significant in-roads are being made,” said Kim Ashmore, Global Partnerships Manager at ASAP. In the meantime, buyers say clear and simple messaging about the lower footprint of using serviced accommodation would help them encourage their travellers to consider switching from hotels. One buyer suggested using infograms to show comparisons, similar to those used to highlight the lower footprint of rail travel compared to driving or flying. These could perhaps focus on the lack of daily cleaning and F&B facilities, which generally give hotel stays a higher carbon footprint.
Guests at the lunch discussed several factors which make it difficult for the sector to provide meaningful, standardised emissions data. Firstly, it is a fragmented market and is made more complex because apartments can be owned, managed or part of a brand, making it difficult to collect and verify information. Apartments can also be in larger buildings alongside privatelyowned apartments or properties managed by other operators. The vast number of sustainability accreditation companies offering their services to the industry, all based on different criteria and following different procedures, has further muddied the
Travel buyers can help to encourage investment and innovation by refusing to include content that doesn't meet sustainability standards in their travel programmes” 46 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
Lunch Forum V8.indd 46
5/4/23 04:39 PM