The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WSHA) have agreed to strengthen sustainability cooperation between the aviation and hospitality sectors, initially focusing on airline procurement of hotel services.
The agreement, signed at the World Sustainability Symposium,
aims to align sustainability practices and improve environmental, social and
governance (ESG) performance across the travel value chain.
Under the partnership, the organizations will jointly
develop practical guidance for airlines procuring hotel accommodation,
combining IATA’s Integrated Sustainability Program (ISP) with WSHA’s Universal
Sustainability KPIs Programme.
The guidance will cover sustainability criteria for hotel
tenders, ESG considerations in contracting and best-practice case studies to
help airlines make more informed purchasing decisions and strengthen engagement
with hotel suppliers.
“ This collaboration will strengthen the ISP by connecting
airline procurement priorities with the hospitality sector’s expertise and
experience,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president of
sustainability and chief economist.
WSHA President and CEO Glenn Mandziuk said the partnership
would help bridge the gap between aviation and hospitality by establishing
practical, aligned standards and moving beyond fragmented sustainability
reporting.
Both sectors face shared challenges involving responsible
procurement, environmental management, social responsibility, supply chain
performance and increasingly complex sustainability reporting requirements.
Longer-term areas of cooperation could include
sustainability measurement and reporting, plastic and waste reduction, human
rights, community engagement, climate resilience and resource efficiency.
The organizations may also explore how closer collaboration
between airlines and hotels can improve sustainability outcomes at destinations
and throughout corporate and leisure travel supply chains.
The initiative seeks to support more consistent
sustainability practices across the travel ecosystem, enabling businesses to
assess supplier performance and advance measurable environmental and social
outcomes. -TradeArabia News Service