Dubai Tourism marks Earth Day 2024 with Hotel Sustainability Awards

April 22, 2024

To mark World Earth Day, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has set a new benchmark for sustainable tourism by awarding the 'Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp' to 70 hotels for adhering to rigorous sustainability criteria.

This first-of-its-kind initiative in the region, the DST Stamp mandates 19 Sustainability Requirements for hotel classification.

The stamp, with gold, silver and bronze tiers, recognises hotels implementing sustainable practices to meet industry and eco-conscious traveller expectations. It accelerates Dubai's efforts towards the UAE's NetZero 2050 strategy and reinforces Dubai’s commitment to becoming the ultimate sustainable destination.

The initiative, launched last year in tandem with the UAE Year of Sustainability, which also saw Dubai hosting the milestone COP28 in Expo City Dubai, seeks to support hotels in the city to achieve their sustainability goals as they meet the highest standards of DET’s Sustainability Requirements. The comprehensive set of requirements that hotels need to implement include sustainable management approaches, performance metrics, energy, food and water management plans, guest education, employee training initiatives, creating sustainability committees within hotel establishments, and Corporate Social Responsibility programmes for local communities.

The recipients of this certification were honoured at an award ceremony hosted by DET at Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, and attended by top hospitality executives as well as DET senior leadership. The awards were presented by His Excellency Issam Kazim, Chief Executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Yousuf Lootah, Head of DET Environmental Sustainability & Social Responsibility Committee.

Details of all 70 recipients are available on the Visit Dubai website here: https://www.dubaitourism.gov.ae/en/about-us/tourism-projects/dubai-sustainable-tourism-stamp.

Issam Kazim, Chief Executive, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing noted “To position the city as a leading sustainable destination, and contributing to the UAE’s wider Net Zero goals, Dubai is taking a leading role in driving awareness, fostering education and ultimately creating and supporting opportunities to further advance responsible tourism practices.

“The awarding of the first Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamps is an important moment in our collective journey, and we congratulate and thank the participating and winning hotels for their efforts. Through the continued development of the DST Stamp, as well as other current and future initiatives, we look forward to making Dubai the first choice destination for global travellers seeking the ultimate sustainable experience.”

With a one-year validity, the ‘Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp’ is the latest initiative in DET's sustainability strategy which has already seen the launch of the Carbon Calculator – a platform conceived to help stakeholders and partners identify cost saving opportunities and manage the transition to sustainable practices – and the Dubai Can initiative, which was launched in February 2022 with the ‘Refill for Life’ campaign promoting the use of reusable bottles and encouraging people to refill via 50 water fountains established throughout the city. A second Dubai Can project, the Dubai Reef, was launched in December 2023; one of the world's largest marine reef developments, Dubai Reef is part of the city’s efforts to increase fish stocks, support sustainable fishing and contribute to boosting food security. Dubai Reef project will also play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and increasing marine biodiversity.

Image. Dubai Gold Tier DST Stamp Hotels Winners

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