Introduction

Sustainability in the supply chain is a very important part of our overall corporate responsibility. Since February 2021, TUI has updated the minimum sustainability requirements in all its hotel contracts.

Please make sure you are familiar with the new contract terms and read them alongside the TUI Code of Conduct for Suppliers. The Code is summary of the ethical standards we expect of all our business partners and serves as a guideline.

Hotel contract requirements

We have summarised the hotel contract minimum sustainability requirements

In summary, hotel partners should:

  • Manage their Environmental Impact by actively reducing the consumption of energy, water and other natural resources as well as to minimising the volume of waste and emissions, especially single-use plastics, and to favour local products and services
  • Apply with fair Employment Conditions and respect employees
  • Respect International Human Rights and comply with highest industry standards to ensure fair employment conditions and zero tolerance for discrimination
  • Apply highest standards of Child Protection including minimum age for employment, preventive measures with regards to sexual exploitation and abuse and the duty to report any incidents or suspicious activities
  • Comply with Animal Welfare and Wildlife standards and mitigate activities which disturb wildlife, only legally acquire wild animals and plants, and ensure best practice for animals held in captivity, including prohibiting their usage as photo props
  • Achieve and hold a GSTC recognised Sustainability Certification (for hotels with +80 rooms and where TUI holds a +10% allotment)
  • Manage the hotel’s sustainability performance as specified under the clause, either by implementing relevant action plans or policies or achieving a GSTC-Recognized sustainability certification award standard

Documentation

Any certification body that is recognized or accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) will look for evidence of compliance in the form of documentation that covers the areas outlined below. These all ensure that good sustainability management practices are in place:

  1. Policies: These should include written statements of commitment, an outline of how your business will meet this commitment, and be signed by a senior manager.
  2. Goals & targets: These should show how your property is continually setting goals and targets that minimize negative impacts and increase positive ones. Sometime these are included in policies.
  3. Procedures: These can show if, and how, a business has integrated certain sustainability practices into their day-to-day operations.
  4. Reporting: Regular internal and external reporting that includes an analysis of how well the business did against their commitments, goals and targets is essential. Having these reports reviewed by senior management and available for the public to view is the best way to ensure transparency and that sustainability work remains on track and continues to improve.
  5. Legal compliance: No business can claim to be operating responsibly if they are not aware of all relevant laws and can demonstrate they are complying with them. Certification bodies such as Travelife will ask to see evidence that this is being carried out and that compliance is being monitored on a regular basis.
  6. Resourcing: A business will only be able to adhere to their policies and achieve their targets if they have ensured their sustainability work is adequately resourced in terms of having dedicated staff to work in each of the core sustainability areas and ensured that all staff are provided with the necessary information and training to support the business’ work.

Downloads

GSTC - Sustainability Management Guidance

Please take a look at the Hotel Sustainability Management System – Implementation Guidance , which has been developed by GSTC and Greenview to provide an overview of how a sustainability management system should be implemented in a hotel.