UNESCO and Expedia Group Add New Hospitality Organizations to the UNESCO Pledge

Several hospitality groups and organizations have signed the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge recently, committing to supporting community resilience, heritage conservation and promoting sustainable travel.

The UNESCO Pledge was created by UNESCO and Expedia Group in 2019 and has had notable signatories like Banyan Tree Group, Accor and Iberostar. Its new signatories include Melia Hotels International, THB Hotels, Universal Hotels and Helios Hotels. Accor Hotels’ Mantra brands have also joined, adding hundreds of new properties to the pledge. There are currently over 6,000 properties under the brands who have signed the pledge.

“The UNESCO Pledge provides a framework for action on the ground to improve livelihoods and chart a path to a more sustainable future for travel,” said Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO.

“The commitment from these new signatories to address the impact their operations are having on the environment and the communities where they operate is commendable. We urge others to sign up to the Pledge and commit to progress around these essential sustainable tourism priorities, from reducing single-use plastic to saving water and energy usage, and strengthening the engagement, benefit and resiliency of local communities.”

Properties who achieve a level of sustainability can also receive the EU Ecolabel, the official label of environmental excellence from the EU.

The UNESCO Pledge involves sustainability measures like conservation of natural resources like water and energy, reducing single-use plastics and waste and also the promotion of community engagement and conservation.