A recent booking.com survey found that 78 percent of travellers now seek eco-friendly accommodation options. An uptick in consumers concerned about the impact tourism has on the environment means a proliferation of hotels incorporating eco-friendly features to meet this demand.
But sustainability should not be a one-off initiative or marketing tool, cautions Cinn Tan. She oversees global integrated branding, marketing, communications, sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts for Pan Pacific Hotels Group, which operates properties in over 25 cities. Instead, the practice should be integrated into our lifestyle.
“Sustainability should bear the true value of what a company stands for. It must be part of the decision-making process.”
Cinn Tan on taking an authentic approach
The amalgamation led to the launch of Parkroyal Collection Hotels & Resorts, a brand dedicated to showcasing the principal group’s efforts to curtail its carbon footprint and resource consumption. For instance, following a S$45-million refurbishment, Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay became Singapore’s first ‘garden-in-a-hotel’. Home to over 2,400 plants, trees, shrubs and ground covers of 60 different species of vegetation, including herbs, fruits, vegetables, and edible flowers, the property also boasts 210 rooftop solar panels.
Like Parkroyal Collection Pickering, it utilises motion sensors to power down lights and air-conditioning when guests depart their rooms, low-flow shower heads to reduce water consumption, and waste management practices to maximise the use of food parts and recycle food waste. That’s not to say the other brands in the group’s portfolio don’t drive environmentally-friendly initiatives. “Sustainability is a fundamental aspect of our group’s identity,” asserts Tan. She stresses that all Pan Pacific Hotels Group properties in Singapore hold ISO14001 certification, an international standard in leading environmental management systems.
The newest property, Pan Pacific Orchard, covers more than 200 percent of its land area with terraced greenery in addition to energy-saving features like rainwater collection, solar panel technology and a biodigester system. Further enhancement of its sustainability endeavours has resulted in an establishment of green committees at all of the hotels. Each panel comprises representatives from sectors such as facilities, operations, procurement, IT, and finance.
Thanks to the launch of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap in 2022, an initiative jointly released by the Singapore Hotel Association and Singapore Tourism Board, there are regulatory standards for green hotels here. They include reducing environmental impact and holding eco credentials, whether through a biophilic design or reduction and recycling initiatives.
Tan’s take on upcoming green hotel trends? Almost every tourism sector—from cruise lines, luxury hotels, and resorts to airlines and destinations—will take to innovative solutions that cut carbon emissions and prioritise environmental impact. Travel markets will also need to be managed with a novel strategy since technology has changed the way consumers interact with brands. But it is all for the better.
“Standardisation has given way to personalisation, and technology makes it more effective,” she says, noting that change happens when we embrace it. “The desire for self-improvement is key. New skills need to be learnt.”
For this reason, she is grateful to be able to work with teams with a global reach. “This allows us to learn from each other and appreciate our complementary skill sets, personalities, and views.”
Art director: Chia Wei Choong
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: Alfred Phang
Hair: Jenny Ng
Makeup: Keith Bryant Lee using Shiseido
