Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game, the inaugural activity of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative.
Designed by Dubai Tourism in collaboration with Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF, Roya International and Insignia, the game was created as an educational tool for Dubai’s hospitality industry to contribute towards the city’s goal of sustainability.
Participants at the event, held at Media One Hotel recently, included staff across all aspects of hotel operations, who worked in teams of 2-3 people to measure consumption baselines and identify opportunities to reduce consumption.
Speaking at the event, Solaiman Alrifai, senior manager, tourism development, Dubai Tourism, said: "Dubai’s hospitality industry, which recently crossed the 100,000 room threshold, has been a cornerstone of the city’s economy.
"As we look forward to capacity expansion and increased visitor volumes in the lead-up to 2020 and beyond, it is paramount for us to implement measures for this industry to reduce consumption and conserve resources. Raising awareness of conservation practices is a key pillar of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative, making this game a very significant step towards creating ä clear understanding of how powerful hospitality employees are in bringing about change."
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Rabih Feghali, director of business development at Roya International, added : “We are honoured to have been chosen by DTCM and EWS-WWF to assist in the creation of this exciting new initiative.
"Having been at the forefront of environmental awareness in the regional hospitality industry, we delivered one of the first LEED certified hotels in the UAE, and continue to engage industry stakeholders at all levels to promote sustainable practices. I encourage all hotels in Dubai to participate in the board game; Its fun, interesting and a true learning experience. A special thank you goes out to the Media One Hotel, Shangri-La Dubai, Media Rotana and Radisson Blu Dubai Marina for their participation in the pilot programme."
Rupert Diss, executive director – commercial, Insignia Worldwide Group, said: “Insignia Worldwide Group were privileged to be part of the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game initiative and enjoyed the design process and visualisation of the concept, with the production of a highly finished ‘roof off’ architectural render for the board game, using its in house interior design expertise with Circadian. IWG work with over 120 hotels in 16 countries so could see the social and positive impact of such a great environmental future-proofing initiative.”
In addition to measuring electricity and water consumption levels in hotels, and ways to reduce it, the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game also helps participants understand which areas of the hotel activities are responsible for consumption, and how to optimise the efficiency of those areas.
Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative (DSTI) is an initiative of Dubai Tourism designed to enable the hospitality industry in Dubai to become more sustainable and efficient in managing their resources. Along with raising awareness, the DSTI also aims to develop a framework to promote sustainability, introduce carbon emission reduction strategies, and share innovative solutions to improve sustainability.
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