RIU publishes 2018 Sustainability Report

TUI Group´s long-standing joint venture partner RIU Hotels & Resorts recently published its new sustainability report. It summarises the environmental protection measures and social projects carried out during 2018. The motto for last year was "Be RIUsponsible. The focus was on the company's positive contribution to the development of holiday destinations and environmental protection at the locations of 93 hotels. Questions of child protection, health, poverty reduction, responsible consumption and the protection of biodiversity played also an important role.

Luis Riu and Carmen Riu, CEOs of RIU Hotels & Resorts, write in the Sustainability Report: "For this company, which still has a lot to learn and, of course, to improve, this Report is much more than a document that sets out decisions made over a year. It is the check point where everything begins. A guide that will help us continue to evolve every day, across every area, with the aim of applying all the environmental and social strategies learned by each of the company’s departments.”

Here are 5 examples of how RIU works with guests, employees, and stakeholders to improve sustainability:

• RIU has participated in the UN #BeatPlasticPollution program and organized more than 20 beach cleanups around the world to mark World Environment Day 2018.

• RIU's social projects focus on the well-being of children (73 percent of social investment spending goes into this area, another 21 percent into local community projects and 6 percent into biodiversity projects). For example, the company supports the treatment of children with cancer in the Cancun region and sponsored 42 flights to Mexico City for patients from various regions to enable them to receive treatment.

• Compared to 2017, RIU hotels and resorts reduced water consumption per night per guest from 386 liters to 381 liters. RIU has also made progress on waste reduction, with 1.6 kg per night and guest in 2018 (2 kg in 2017).

• RIU works continuously to reduce its own CO2 emissions: Last year the figure was 8.05 kg CO2 per guest night (in 2017: 8.08 kg).

• More and more RIU hotels have a sustainability certification. While 71 RIU hotels and resorts were certified in 2017, by 2018 the figure had risen to 2018. RIU is working with the Travelife organisation to achieve this. To obtain certification, 163 requirements must be met in 13 categories.

More information can be found in the current RIU Sustainability Report 2018 available as PDF here.

More information about sustainability at TUI and its Hotels & Resorts business in particular (e.g. Plastic Reduction Guidelines for Hotels) for are available here.