The operator aims to ramp up progress on sustainability on multiple fronts in pursuit of targets set for 2030, hears Ian Taylor
The sponsor of this special themed edition Tui aims to ramp up progress on sustainability on multiple fronts in pursuit of targets set for 2030, its group head of sustainability tells Ian Taylor
Tui wants “to emphasise the holistic nature of sustainability” when it comes to tourism, according to group head of sustainability Ian Corbett, who argues: “We shouldn’t forget the enormous social and economic value of tourism for destinations.”
But CO2 emissions reduction cannot be avoided, he acknowledges, noting: “The primary focus does have to be on emissions, because that is the biggest challenge we face.”
Corbett says: “We have committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which is an international, independent body setting global standards for industries for emissions reductions. We have targets in public for 2030.
“We’ve taken out finance linked to our performance under the SBTis. We have them embedded in management and leadership objectives, and we’re pleased with the progress we’re making towards those. That is the foundation for everything else.”
The SBTis for 2030 are based on the Paris Agreement, made at the Cop21 climate change conference in 2015, and are “what we as an industry and we as Tui need to do to reduce our emissions in line with what the climate science demands”, explains Corbett.
“We’ve set interim steps to get from our 2019 baseline, on which our SBTis are based, to where we want to be for 2030,” he continues. “We had to look at the total emissions of the group, then set targets for individual business areas. So, we have separate reduction targets for our airline, cruise line and hotel business.”
Varied challenges
The challenges vary significantly by sector, Corbett says. “In terms of our airline and cruise, we have a high level of operational control because we own and operate the assets, but the technology or production of sustainable aviation fuel isn’t there, and that is an industry challenge.
“In hotels, the opposite is true. The solutions are there, but implementation is more difficult because it’s hotel by hotel, business case by business case. We have joint-venture partners in some cases, and each country has different regulations or potential subsidies. So it’s slower.
25% of our own hotels already produce some of their own renewable energy on site . . . and we’ve opened three photovoltaic cell parks in Turkey
“That said, 25% of our own hotels already produce some of their own renewable energy on site, and we’ve recently started looking at solutions at a destination level. We’ve opened three photovoltaic cell parks in Turkey. Eight of our hotels are getting green energy from that. We have another three opening in 2025-26.”
By the end of the project in 2026, all Tui hotels in Turkey should be running on energy supplied by the group’s own solar parks.
Accelerating progress
Hotels aren’t the biggest source of Tui’s emissions, but Corbett says: “We’re focusing on where technology and solutions exist to scale up and accelerate our progress as quickly as possible.
“There are three routes we look at: reduce, produce and purchase. Reducing the amount of energy we consume, focusing on energy efficiency. Then, producing our own green energy on site through solar panels or off site through solar parks. And then purchase – where there are green energy tariffs available, can we move to those? What we use depends on the hotel and location.”
The target for Tui’s hotels is to almost halve emissions from the 2019 baseline by 2030, but Corbett explains: “We want to go further than that, because the technology exists, the business case is favourable, and where we can move faster, we want to do so, because airline and cruise are more of a challenge.”
The 2030 reduction targets for Tui’s airline and cruise operations are 24% and 27.5% respectively, based mainly in the short term on operational efficiency and fleet renewal, and in the medium term on more sustainable fuels and airspace modernisation.
These depend on industry‑wide progress. But progress on the sustainable transformation of hotels can be undertaken now. Corbett says: “Through the action we’re taking, we want to inspire others to do the same.”
Eco trials span coaches, bikes and ships
Trials of sustainability initiatives are growing all the time. Corbett highlights three successful trials Tui undertook over the summer, which it now hopes to scale up.
The first project involved switching some of the operator’s fleet of coaches in Benidorm, used for transfers to and from Alicante airport, to run entirely on biofuel.
“The fuel is made from waste, such as cooking oil, and referred to as renewable diesel or hydro-treated vegetable oil,” he says. “It can lower fuel-related emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional diesel. We used one of our most established destinations as the testing ground.”
Tui plans to extend the use of biofuel on its coaches.
The second trial involved distributing electric bikes and cargo cycles to reps in Rhodes. Corbett explains: “We bought 30 of each and gave them to local reps on the island, and the feedback has been really positive. So that is something we can roll out to other destinations.”
The third project involved switching to the use of shore power by cruise ship Marella Explorer 2 in Valletta, Malta. He says: “We powered the ship for four hours on shore power, so the engines can be turned off, which means using less fuel, lower emissions and improved air quality for local residents.”
Explorer 2 is the only Marella ship currently able to connect to shore power. But Corbett says: “Now we can look at whether we can get it on to other ships. Tui Cruises is already making greater use of shore power.”
Smarter kitchens
Waste reduction is a key issue, and not just the well-publicised drive to cut plastic waste.
In an effort to reduce food waste, Tui recently partnered on a project with AI startup Kitro in 12 Tui Blue hotels to automate the measurement and analysis of waste in kitchens by adding scales and cameras to waste bins.
“We’ve already seen about a 30% reduction in food waste,” says Corbett. “The reason is the quality and immediacy of the data. It gives insights that enable chefs to plan and prepare food differently. For example, they may be making lots of chickpea stew that ends up in the bin. We can continue to serve it, but maybe in smaller portions or less often. That is something we’re looking to scale up.”
He notes the group can also play a role by working with startups such as Kitro “to help them test and scale up solutions that work”.
Corbett adds: “We’re going to look next at guest behaviour and plate waste. There is a lot more that can be done.”