Excerpt from FastCompany
Access to digital keys, EV chargers, sustainable dining and on-site recycling programs are a few ways the industry is redefining sustainable travel.
Throughout the past two years, the pandemic has changed people, their priorities, their preferences and their passions. As the focus for many shifts away from the four walls of their homes to the four corners of the world, people desire reconnection and travel, and doing so in a more sustainable way.
Sustainability has been a focal point of hospitality industry companies well before events of the past two years influenced consumers mindsets. Everything from sustainable menu offerings and building design, to driving broader accessibility of eco-friendly products and devices, like digital keys and EV charging stations.
“As one of the world’s largest hotel companies, Hilton recognizes that we have a critical, holistic responsibility to protect local communities and the planet so that the destinations in which we operate can remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come,” says Erica Gordon, senior vice president and global head, Public Affairs and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Hilton. “In 2018, as part of our Travel with Purpose program, we began a journey to redefine sustainable travel by setting goals to double our investment in social impact and cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030.”
As the hotel industry reduces single-use plastics, travelers are embracing changes that provide access to innovative, sustainably minded solutions, such as reusable water bottles, digital keys and bulk bathroom amenities
Hilton’s Digital Key enables guests to use their smartphones as room keys at more than 81 percent of the company’s 6,800-plus hotels worldwide. The company delivers more than one million Digital Keys to guests each month and, since its launch in 2015, people have used the technology to open more than 152 million hotel room doors.
These shifts have also taken place on the roads. According to a survey by KPMG, 50 percent of new car sales by 2030 are expected to be electric vehicles, with 71% of Americans admitting they would like to own an EV. With EV chargers available at more than 1,400 Hilton locations worldwide and growing, eco-conscious travelers can plan low-emissions road trips with more ease and convenience by utilizing a new filter to search and book hotels with EV chargers directly on Hilton.com.
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