Published: Tue 19 Dec 2023 at 17:04
Jet2holidays has launched a brand-new hotel sustainability labelling scheme, meaning that customers and independent travel agents can easily find and choose from a collection of certified sustainable hotels which meet Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Recognised standards.
Launching today, hotels in the collection can be easily identified on the Jet2holidays direct and trade websites by a label identifying them as a ‘Certified Sustainable Hotel’. In addition, the UK’s largest tour operator has also launched a brand-new ‘Certified Sustainable Hotels’ landing page where the entire collection can be viewed.
Currently featuring over 800 hotels, the collection can be found here: www.jet2holidays.com/sustainable-hotels. Independent travel agents can visit: https://trade.jet2holidays.com/sustainable-hotels
Customers or independent travel agents that visit these pages or see the label will know that the hotels featured meet GSTC-Recognised standards, meaning that they can choose the holiday that is right for them. These standards are based on actions around sustainable hotel management, social and economic support of the local community, promoting positive cultural impacts and environmental protection.
GSTC manages the GSTC Criteria, known as the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, and provides international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies. Jet2holidays became a member of the GSTC in September 2021.
As part of a new Sustainable Hotel Charter which also launches today, Jet2holidays is encouraging and supporting hotel partners to gain Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) Green Key certification, which is a GSTC-Recognised standard for hotel sustainability. This will see Jet2holidays further expand its ‘Certified Sustainable Hotels’ collection.
Today’s announcements continue Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ journey to net zero by 2050, in line with Government targets, though the company aspires to bring this date forward. The company has published a sustainability strategy1 which outlines its targets and actions, with an update due to be released in 2024.
Pledges in the strategy include an equity investment in a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production plant to be constructed in the North West of England – one of the first such deals in UK aviation. The Fulcrum NorthPoint facility, being developed by Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd, will operate as a Waste-to-Fuels plant, and is anticipated to commence SAF production by 2027, with Jet2.com set to receive a significant volume of SAF once operational.
This is on top of other tangible actions, such as the purchase of 98 firm ordered Airbus A320/A321 neo aircraft, which could eventually extend up to 146 aircraft, making travelling with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays more efficient by further reducing emissions per passenger. In addition, Jet2.com’s voluntary carbon offsetting scheme is one of the largest such schemes of any airline globally, and means that since January 2022, the airline has put a price on every tonne of carbon, not included with the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes, including free allowances, directly emitted by its flights.
Just this month Jet2.com was rated Platinum, the top 10 of 100 airlines globally, in the Global Airline Sustainability Benchmarking and Rating Report 2023 published by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) and Envest Global2. A number of factors were used to develop this Platinum rating, including CO2 per Revenue Passenger Kilometre (CO2 per RPK), with the data showing that Jet2.com was the fourth lowest airline globally in this category. According to the report, CO2 per RPK provides an indication of the carbon efficiency in carrying passengers across an airline’s network.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “As well as enjoying the award-winning experience of a Jet2holiday, customers increasingly want to know that their holidays are more sustainable. The launch of our Certified Sustainable Hotels labelling scheme gives customers and independent travel agents the ability to easily search and book with that in mind, so that they can choose a holiday that is right for them.”
He added: “We are also announcing our new Sustainable Hotel Charter and agreement with Green Key today, which means more hotels can adhere to GSTC-Recognised standards too. This will see our collection of Certified Sustainable Hotels become bigger and better, giving customers more choice. As a responsible airline and tour operator, we have already taken many tangible steps on our journey to reach our sustainability targets and today is the latest example of how we are continuing our work to become more sustainable in the air, on the ground and in resort.”
“We congratulate Jet2holidays for this initiative. The growing movement of hotels aligning with the Four Pillars of the GSTC Criteria reflects a powerful, irreversible trend towards sustainable practices. By adopting this holistic approach to sustainability, we're collectively embarking on a transformative journey towards a brighter, more responsible future,” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
