Already ardently supported, in particular by supporters of the flygskam movementThe sustainable dimension of travel is undoubtedly taking on new importance with the current pandemic. " We've had lots of conversations with meeting organisers, members of our I Prefer loyalty programme, travel consultants and industry experts. They all tell us the same thing: the pandemic has already made travellers more aware of the impact of their choices and, when they start travelling again, they'll want more experiences that make sense" explains Lindsey UeberrothCEO of the Preferred Hotel Group.
At a time when the covid-19 crisis is forcing the travel industry to reinvent itself, Preferred Hotels Inc has decided to launch a new brand, Beyond Greenwhich currently includes 24 founding establishments, all exemplary in their eco-responsible approach and selected on the basis of around fifty indicators in line with industry standards and the UN's sustainable development objectives.
The name chosen for the brand, Beyond Green, not only recognises the importance of environmentally-friendly practices, but also " the primary responsibility the travel and tourism industry's role in protecting biodiversity, preserving cultural heritage and improving the livelihoods of local people, while providing travellers with an enjoyable and meaningful experience" according to the press release from the hotel group, which runs the Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide voluntary chains.
The launch of this new venture follows the acquisition last February of Beyond Green Travel, a sustainable tourism consultancy founded by Costas Christ, one of the pioneers of eco-tourism. "Although we tend to think of sustainability as the latest buzzword in the world of travel, its roots are in fact deep and ancient.says Costas Christ. Today we are witnessing an evolution in the way we travelnot a passing trend. "
Participating in the I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty programme and distributed under a GDS code From the beginning of next year, the Beyond Green brand will also take the form of the StayBeyondGreen.com website, which is already online but whose booking functions will not be active until the first quarter of 2021.
Set to grow over the next few years, the company's portfolio currently comprises 24 hotels, resorts and lodges. These include numerous African establishments such as the Xigera Safari Lodge in the Okavango Delta, the &Beyond Bateleur Camp in the Masai Mara reserve and the Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge in Rwanda, as well as American resorts such as the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur and Cavallo Point in Sausalito, and the Three Camel Lodge, a yurt village in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Also on the list are the two Hideaways hotels opened in Belize by Francis Ford Coppola and the prestigious The Brando in Polynesia. In Europe, Beyond Green has three representatives with very different profiles: the historic Ashford Castle in Ireland, an estate in the heart of the Tuscan countryside - the Borgo Pignano - and the Aristi Mountain Resort in the mountains of Greece.
