In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that travel remains sustainable. From saving water to reducing waste and supporting local communities, we know so many customer’s care about their environmental impact – and that applies when abroad, too.
And when it comes to sustainable holidays, TUI is leading the way and pledging to make a difference – probably more than you even realise. From holiday hotel brands that focus on contributing to a better world to a foundation that sets out to use tourism as a force for good, take a look at everything they’re doing so you can enjoy safe and sustainable getaways.
Hotels that help
If selecting your hotel means more to you than just the number of bars and pools on offer, then you’ll be pleased to know TUI has a few hotel brands in particular that go the extra mile when it comes to being environmentally friendly and sustainably sound.
TUI Blue
With a portfolio of impressive hotels all over the world – from Croatia to the Caribbean – TUI Blue hotels are all about empowering the senses. Setting the scene in stunning surroundings and offering unique experiences from live cooking to exciting excursions, as well as a whole range of fitness and well-being activities, these hotels are a premium choice for one-of-a-kind getaways.
When you think of TUI Blue you might imagine sophisticated hotels, suave sun loungers and amazing infinity pools – but that’s not all they’re about. TUI Blue prides itself on being a modern lifestyle brand that thinks about a more sustainable way of life – enabling it’s hotels to contribute to a better world under the motto ‘sustainable blue’.
Many TUI Blue hotels have already launched promising sustainable development initiatives, with the brand taking ten steps towards a better world all by 2022. These are;
- 10% – reduce the fresh water consumption per guest per night by 10% (equivalent to 160 Olympic sized swimming pools).
- 20% – reduce the carbon footprint of their operations by 20% (equivalent to 3,500 cars off the road).
- 30% – reduce waste to landfill per guest per night by 30% (equivalent to 500 garbage trucks).
- 40% of Kids Club activities will include sustainability themes.
- 50% of food and beverage will be sourced from the local area.
- 60m pieces of single-use plastic will be reduced from hotel operations.
- 70% of employees will be recruited from the local area.
- 80% of staff will receive vocational training.
- 90% of TUI Blue hotels will hold a GSTC-recognised certification (minimum)
- 100% of new build hotels and refurbishments will use sustainable construction guidelines.
With impeccable style and sustainability, what more could you want? Take a look at some of our favourite TUI Blue properties…
TUI Magic Life
Another TUI brand that aims to make waves in the world of sustainability is TUI Magic Life. A brand that focuses on taking All Inclusive to the next level alongside a jam-packed offering of amazing activities, they believe it’s just as important to offer sustainable holidays and are taking important steps to do so.
Waste reduction, energy reduction and water consumption reduction are some of the brands main focuses, whilst an effort to positively impact local communities is also high up on the list.
Let’s take a look at TUI Magic Life Fuerteventura as an example – a stunning hotel on one of the Canaries’ most favoured islands. Impactful measures have been implemented to reduce energy consumption; from installing new LED technologies to generating electricity through the hotel’s own solar systems and using heat energy. They’re also proud to help strengthen the local economy, with 75% of the hotel’s food being supplied from the region. Guests are welcomed to greet the hotel’s Environmental Manager, who is happy to discuss all things sustainability at any time. Plus there’s even Handicraft Workshops, Cleaning Action and Beach-Clean Ups on offer to participate in, should guests wish to find out more and assist in the hotel’s sustainability and environmental activities.
Each Magic Life hotel loves to engage with the local community, and TUI Magic Life Fuerteventura is no exception. They’re part of a whole host of initiatives and programs to support the local area, from collaborations with local schools to help donate sports equipment, to collecting caps to be recycled to help children with no financial resources to gain access to medical treatment and orthopaedic devices to improve their quality of life.
You can find out all the sustainability and environmentally-friendly impact of each TUI Magic Life hotel from the moment you arrive. It’s something they’re proud to shout about! These hotels are all about living life to the max and getting the most out of your time off – whether that means relaxing in sumptuous settings or getting stuck into fabulous activities like archery, zumba and even motorised watersports.
So for a getaway that’ll have you supporting local communities as well as living your best life, a Magic Life holiday couldn’t be any more perfect! Take a look at some of our favourites through this link here.
TUI Care Foundation
Alongside the good that’s being done in their hotels, TUI’s Care Foundation aims to make the biggest impact of all – and has been doing so for a while. In fact, their main strategy for the last five or so years has been “Better Holidays, Better World”.
As the world’s leading tourism business, this strategy set out to make the travel sector sustainable while having a positive impact on every touch point of travel – from the countries we visit to the customer’s themselves.
The idea is built around four core pillars;
In 2019, TUI Airlines’ carbon emissions saw a 3.6% reduction, cruise carbon emissions saw a 13.6% reduction and carbon emissions in hotels saw a 5.2% reduction, all from their baseline 2015 year. And, that same year the TUI Care Foundation raised £8.1 million to support good causes and enhance the positive impacts of tourism.
And despite all the havoc caused for the travel industry over the past year due to the pandemic, the TUI Care Foundation is still committed to making a difference around the world and especially those impacted most at this challenging time.
It will come as no surprise that people in holiday destinations whose livelihoods depend on tourism are particularly affected by the ongoing global travel restrictions – which is why the TUI Care Foundation decided to step in and help with the Corona Relief Fund. With the support of local volunteers, food parcels have been distributed around the world to help disadvantaged families in countries like Egypt, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain and Cape Verde. All made possible by the generosity of donations by TUI customers and employees.
Thomas Ellerbeck, Chairman of the TUI Care Foundation, said “’Many people in holiday destinations have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic and the travel restrictions. For them it is a matter of basic needs, which is the foundation of many families. In this unprecedented situation, the TUI Care Foundation is supporting families with aid packages, food and hygiene products. To make this happen, we’re working primarily either with local organisations or implementing our own aid projects on the ground. Many project partners, social entrepreneurs and aid organisations are joining us in finding creative ways to enable the timely distribution of aid packages, even under difficult conditions and without an established infrastructure. There is a common goal: we want to give people to know that, together, we can make sure the tourism infrastructure will survive, ready for when the Corona crisis is over. Because everyone wants to welcome tourists again and get back to their jobs as soon as possible’.
The aid is continuing into this year too to support those struggling. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can get back to our much-loved holidays to continue to support the economies of these beautiful countries!
As you can see, sustainability is truly embedded into TUI holidays and is only set to continue. It’s great to know that you can enjoy holidays that provide so much infrastructure and support to amazing local communities – we can’t wait to get stuck into our next destination and uncover the beauty of not only the surrounding areas, but the people too.
Want some inspiration?
Perhaps you’ve decide your next getaway just has to be at a TUI Blue property, or maybe it’s time to make Magic Life memories somewhere new. Take a look at some of our best deals below for some exciting holiday inspo!