According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), sustainable tourism is:
‘tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities’.
Whilst the easiest way to travel with the environment in mind is to minimise travelling distance, we understand that this may not be an option for many corporate and long-stay travellers. Therefore, it is essential to minimise the environmental impact of your stay as much as possible.
Why is there such a demand for sustainable tourism?
The demand for sustainable tourism reflects global trends to be more environmentally conscious. This is highlighted in a recent study by Simon-Kucher & Partners (2021), which found that 85% of respondents had altered their purchasing behaviour to be more sustainable, over the past five years.
These global trends have rippled across corporate travel as well. Recent discussions from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) have highlighted the existential threat of climate change. In effect, this has accelerated the demand for businesses to make more environmentally conscious decisions, something that the corporate travel sector cannot disregard.
So, what has this meant for the serviced apartment industry?
Data from the Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report (GSAIR, 2022) indicates that sustainability, ESG, and safety have become top priorities for businesses and employees. This resulted in 15% of businesses increasing the use of serviced apartments in 2021. GSAIR also found that since 2010, 52% of corporates and 60% of TMCs state that their serviced apartment use has increased significantly.
How exactly are serviced apartments more sustainable, in comparison to other accommodation alternatives?
1. Longer Stays
Longer stays mean reduced travel. Further insights from GSAIR suggest that business trips will continue, but at a fewer rate and for a longer duration. The pandemic has fast-tracked a shift from face-to-face business to virtual video conferencing, which has drastically cut down the need for travel. This is illustrated by GSAIR’s findings that 39.2% of business trips in 2021 were eight nights or more, whilst the number of 7-14 night stays doubled from that of 2019.
By reducing the need for travel, and staying in a serviced apartment for the duration of your trip, your carbon footprint is significantly reduced. This lessens the contribution to global warming and pollution from burning jet fuel whilst travelling by aircraft.
2. Co-living
Serviced apartments offer a home away from home, with all the necessary amenities you require for daily use. This is the same for co-loving apartments, however, you share your home away from home. This includes sharing the lounge, dining room, and any other communal space at the same time. This option encourages a sense of community and can be great for sociable travellers who often find themselves lonely on their business trips.
Co-living also makes group trips and work projects much easier. The hassle of organising accommodation for group trips and work projects is cut dramatically when co-living is considered.
3. Sharing Transportation
As well as the benefits mentioned, co-living also encourages the sharing of transportation. Transportation choices that get you from A to B with the lowest carbon emissions should be favoured. Travelling in a group is undoubtedly better for the environment than travelling alone. Specifically, if you are travelling in a group large enough, buses are often the most preferred eco-friendly transportation option. Apart from cycling and sailing, of course.
4. Sustainable Housekeeping
Here at TheSqua.re, and largely across the serviced apartment industry, cleaning and housekeeping services are carried out on a weekly schedule.
This is great for guests who want to relax in their apartments, without any disturbances. Not only this, less frequent housekeeping can help to reduce the environmental impact of your stay!
Cutting down on unnecessary daily cleaning of towels and linen significantly reduces the number of times the washing machine is being used, which saves A LOT of electricity.
Weekly cleaning and housekeeping also reduce electricity use in the apartment, largely coming from vacuum cleaners. According to The Home Hacks DIY, Vacuum cleaners tend to use between 450 watts to 2500 watts, typically using 1.4kWh of energy per hour.
Did you know…?
- During a 30-night stay, the CO2 footprint of a serviced apartment is 70% less than a name-brand hotel in Canary Wharf.
- Serviced apartments use 40% less water than the average hotel room per night.
For your next business trip, try integrating sustainability into your accommodation choice by considering a serviced apartment.
The Global Sustainability Study 2021 survey was conducted in July 2021 by Simon-Kucher & Partners, fielding through panel data provided by Dynata, an independent market research agency.