In September, the Iberostar Group recognized four German and Swiss tourism businesses for their commitment to sustainability at the first edition of the Iberostar Sustainability Awards. These awards symbolize the highest accolade presented by the Majorcan hotel group to honor environmental conservation initiatives within the tourism industry.

One month later, we spoke to Finn Ackermann, Executive Vice President Commercial EMEA, about how this inaugural edition of the hotel chain’s awards was received, as well as whether there are plans for subsequent editions in the future:

 

 

1. How did the Iberostar Sustainability Awards gala go? Did it meet Iberostar’s expectations?

The ceremony was indeed very exciting, both for us and for the winners. The short videos presenting the winning initiatives (which we have also posted on social media) provided the attendees with insight into the content and companies behind the chosen projects, which were received with a lively round of applause from the audience from various industry areas. Our aim was to give visibility to the winning projects within the sector, and I believe we have achieved this with publications in several tourism media outlets in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). In this regard, we would also like to recognize our media partner for this project, fvw, for their firm commitment to sustainability. 

The award ceremony was inaugurated by Gloria Fluxà, Vice President & Chief Sustainability Officer of the Iberostar Group, who inspired the audience with a speech that emphasized “the hotel industry’s potential for development” and encouraged all tourism stakeholders to “work together to develop sustainability strategies that set benchmarks within the industry.”  The most gratifying part of the ceremony, however, was without a doubt witnessing the pride of the winners. These included both larger companies, such as Hotelplan and Fairweg, that are more accustomed to speeches and interviews, as well as up-and-coming initiatives such as Fairaway Travel or LCC Grünes Reisebüro. For these newer businesses, this was their first award of its kind, as well as their first experience with the press and a wider audience. 

 

 

2. What was it like when the winners accepted their awards?

The winners were excited and proud, as well as highly motivated to continue moving forward in their specific initiatives that led them to receive an Iberostar Sustainability Award. Indeed, it represents a reward that motivates the entire team behind the project, working either locally or internationally, to get one step closer to responsible tourism and conceive a new approach to the creation and sale of travel experiences. If the social media buzz is anything to go by, they were all bursting to share the great news with their employees and partners.  

 

 

3. Are there plans for a second edition of the Iberostar Sustainability Awards in 2024?

As a result of the Sustainability Awards 2023, we are planning a fam trip to Mexico with this year’s winners. The idea is for them to get to know our sustainability projects in the country firsthand; particularly, our recently signed agreement with Planeterra to include and work with the local communities in the countries where we operate. What’s more, and within the scope of the awards, in 2024 we will be launching a campaign focused on sustainability alongside each winner, in order to raise awareness about sustainable travel options among guests.

For 2024, the plan is to continue the awards with a new international edition, applying everything we have learned this year, as well as all the new ideas that have emerged. Our aim is to expand our awards to more markets, focus on distribution activities, and also broaden the scope so we can not only recognize the best sustainability initiatives, but also the best commercial partners.

 

 

4. For Iberostar, how important is sustainability when it comes to its stakeholders? 

Here at Iberostar, we are strongly committed to promoting positive and responsible tourism. To achieve this, we rely on the collaboration of our partners, since it is not a challenge we can tackle alone. We need our collaborators’ maximum support. For us, it is essential that our partners be committed to sustainability and meet our objectives, both in terms of environmental and social responsibility. 

To this end, we need to work closely with our partners and motivate them to improve by offering, for example, specially planned, sustainability-focused trips to our hotels, or experience exchanges with our sustainability experts.