What sustainable initiatives do you have in place currently?
Iberostar’s operations have been free of single-use plastics since 2020. We are very excited to have achieved this key milestone and, as we continue to evolve, we have clear goals for 2030: 
●    Iberostar’s operations will be waste-free by 2025, and carbon neutral by 2030
●    Iberostar’s seafood consumption will be 100% responsibly sourced by 2025 in all our destinations (we have achieved this milestone in Mexico already) 
●    All eco-systems that surround Iberostar properties will be improving in ecological health alongside profitable tourism by 2030

Our approach to a circular economy started with the removal of single-use plastics across all our hotels in 2019. Today, we have a whole business unit within Iberostar and over 200 colleagues entirely dedicated to managing waste so we can achieve our goal of sending zero waste to landfill by 2025. 

Given that 60% of our waste is food, we are specifically committed to reduce organic waste with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in kitchens to allow our staff to know what is being thrown away and what is being saved. A scale measures the weight and sends a message to the chef, indicating the cost, weight and quantity of food discarded.

Part of this approach to circularity is our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 across our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Validated by the Science Based Targets initiative in October 2022, the plan will accomplish an 85% reduction of our scope 1 and 2, and a 50% reduction of scope 3 in the next eight years. We will be offsetting the rest by implementing nature-based solutions in our destinations.

We are committed to dedicating the necessary investment and operational processes to allow us to reduce our energy consumption in a number of ways, including the electrification of our hotel portfolio and accessing as much renewable energy as possible by the end of the decade.

Why have you chosen to champion sustainability in 2024?
At Iberostar, we have a continuous commitment towards sustainability, which has been a cornerstone of the company’s culture throughout its history.

We look towards the future with a deep consideration for the social and environmental characteristics that make each territory unique.

We are convinced that the tourism industry can be a driving force for building a profitable and responsible tourism model that protects the oceans and reduces climate change. This decade, we need to act to tackle climate change and the loss of biodiversity, and create equitable value chains.

The travel and tourism industry has an incredible opportunity to evolve responsibly into the future. We need to be thinking about the traveller and guest of the future, which places a high degree of importance on travelling responsibly. And all players in the travel industry have to work towards finding the right balance between profitability and the desire to leave behind a legacy for future generations. 

In the year of our TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes initiative we’re seeking agent Ambassadors to champion promoting and selling responsible tourism. How are you planning on supporting these agents in their journey?
Responsible travel is a growing topic of discussion and a driver of choice when choosing where to go on holiday, and studies show that travellers want to do more to minimise their impact on the environment while travelling.

We are fully committed to supporting travel agents, ensuring they are always up to date on our latest initiatives related to responsible tourism, which are part of our 2030 agenda. Travel agents are key to communicating the correct information and providing alternatives to their customers, which, in turn, will allow them to build their business on a sustainable and profitable basis.

One of the best options to gather that information is to stay in an Iberostar resort to experience first-hand how a sustainable holiday looks and feels. We have various initiatives to make sure as many travel agents as possible can do this, such as our Travel Agent Loyalty programme, staragents.com, which offers points that can then be redeemed for free stays and special rates.

We host many training events (virtual and face-to-face) across the UK, highlighting not just our brand and product message, but our sustainability initiatives and how they are “in action” in our resorts around the world.

We will also be ensuring our agent partners have access to all our content focused on sustainability, such as videos and images that they can in turn use to encourage sustainable travel to their customers.

These TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors will have the opportunity to join a sustainability-focused Iberostar fam trip. What can they hope to experience and learn?
The agents participating will experience first-hand how our sustainability movement is implemented in our hotels, and how it not only enriches the local environment and communities but also the guest experience.

Our aim is that all those participating will come back with a different perspective on what responsible travel should be, which they can then share with friends, families and customers.

Will you be offering these TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors any additional benefits in 2024? 
Yes. We will gift the selected agents with Star Agent points that they can use to book their own stay in an Iberostar property to experience initiatives first-hand.

We will also provide them with all the knowledge and content they need to support them every step of the way during their journey towards a model of responsible tourism.

What marketing advice or selling tips do you have for travel agents looking to sell more responsible travel? 
Knowledge is key. We have a dedicated page where agents can find all the information they need on many environmental initiatives. We also have lots of interesting content (videos, images and written material) that partners can use to communicate with clients on social media, newsletters and websites.

Furthermore, we would like to invite all travel agents to join our exclusive travel agent Facebook group in order to get the latest updates in real time and check-out our brand-new site for travel agents Iberostaragents.com