Leading the Way in Sustainable Travel & Tourism

Last month, I had the privilege of meeting with global leaders to discuss the long-term sustainability of the travel and tourism industry. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Summit brought together presidents, ministers of tourism and industry leaders for solutions-oriented conversations about the future of our industry. With more people crossing borders than ever before, we are living in a Golden Age of Travel. But while our industry takes advantage of the business opportunity these travelers bring, we must address our responsibility to the communities where we live and work.  

In that light, the very future of our industry depends on a planet that can continue to support and sustain our growth. As travel industry leaders, we have both the opportunity and the duty to create an agenda for common, united action. As incoming chairman of WTTC, I issued a specific challenge for our industry: commit to following the Paris Climate Agreement and incorporating its objectives into actionable science-based targets.

That may seem like a tall order—but we are fortunate to have the tools and resources at our disposal to improve our world. I wouldn’t set such a lofty goal if I didn’t think it was possible. At Hilton, we are prepared to follow through and exceed that goal. Every day during my decade as part of the broader Hilton network, I have woken up inspired, energized and optimistic—because together with all 380,000 Hilton Team Members,* our developers, owners, partners and guests, we are truly making our world a better place.

Since the launch of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose corporate responsibility program in 2011, we’ve had a meaningful positive impact on our communities and our environment. To share just a few highlights: We’ve mentored, prepared or employed 800,000 young people as part of our Open Doors pledge. We have reduced our carbon emissions by 30% and we’ve diverted more than 1.5 million pounds of soap from landfill to save lives in developing countries – helping contribute to a 35% reduction in the mortality rate in children under the age of five who suffer from hygiene-related illnesses.

And so, today we launched ambitious new targets for driving positive social and environmental change on a global scale. By 2030, we will cut our environmental footprint in half, and we will double our social impact investment.

With this announcement, Hilton is redefining sustainable travel during this spectacular time for our industry, ensuring that future generations can responsibly enjoy the beauty and culture of destinations all over the world. Notably, we are the first major hotel company to both set science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions and commit to sending zero hotel soap to landfill. And importantly, we will double our investment in programs that help women, youth and people with disabilities around the world so that our communities can realize the full economic benefits of travel and tourism.

All of this is in line with our pledge to further the United Nations’ Agenda for 2030 Sustainable Development.

The Road Ahead, Armed With Tools for Success

Accomplishing these ambitious, yet realistic, goals will take dedicated effort. Despite the challenge, I am confident we will succeed for two reasons.

One, we’re building on what we’ve learned over the past decade. Since 2008, we’ve reduced carbon emissions and waste output by 30%, and water consumption by 20%. We are already trending in the right direction to make further reductions over the next twelve years.

Second, we have the technology and resources at hand to help us transition efficiently. Nearly a decade ago, we invested in LightStay, our proprietary performance measurement system that calculates, analyzes and reports the environmental and social impact at each of our more than 5,300 hotels.

This technology has been instrumental in driving our progress. It helps us measure what we’ve accomplished, while simultaneously providing a window into our future goals. LightStay uses historical data to forecast future energy usage levels and to predict the impact of performance on cost and annual consumption, while taking into account variables like occupancy and weather. The system also allows us to track our progress toward social commitments, such as empowering one million young people by 2019.

Being responsible social and environmental stewards is engrained in Hilton’s culture and our purpose. We serve our guests with purpose. We lead our teams with purpose. We build relationships with purpose. And now, I’m calling on our guests, partners and the broader tourism industry to Travel with Purpose so that future generations can enjoy the places we all love to visit.

Although we’ve made much progress together already, we know that our Hilton family has the power to be a force for good and to set a new standard for sustainable travel and tourism. Together we are turning dialogue into action, and we are grateful to those who join us in this mission.

*Team Members include employees at Hilton corporate offices and its owned and managed properties, and employees of franchisees who work on-property at independently owned and operated franchise properties in the Hilton portfolio.