Refurbishing hotels can be as environmentally damaging as constructing new buildings, according to JoAnna Abrams, chief executive of supply chain sustainability group MindClick.
She told the Global Sustainable Destinations Summit: “Refurbishment is a core part of our industry. [But] 40% of carbon emissions come from the built environment and three to four cycles of refurbishment can be as impactful as a new building.”
Abrams reported: “We developed a solution with Marriott to evaluate the impact [of refurbishment]. What happens in manufacturing, packaging and distributing products and where do they end up?”
She argued “local sourcing is very important” and said: “Destinations are making commitments, but what happens when a hotel owner comes with a budget and a [required] return on investment? Are they taking account of the challenges? Are they choosing the [right] supply chain?”
Antoni Riera Font, director of the Impulsa foundation in the Balearic Islands, called on the sector to “bring the circular economy to the core of businesses”.
He noted: “There are circular initiatives in the Balearics – reducing food waste, reusing products, stretching the lifetime of products. A circular economy goes beyond ecotourism or ‘green tourism’ to sustainable tourism.”