Speaking at the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) Conference this week, Electric Ireland’s Head of Business Markets, Dermot McArdle spoke about the need for the hotel industry to react to change. Highlighting the need for a more sustainable outlook, Dermot noted that, “A recent study by booking.com in 2019 revealed that 72% of tourists believe that people need to make more sustainable choices when travelling.”
Dermot went on to identify the role hotels can play in fulfilling that need, “the study also notes that customers are not always clear what that means in practical terms and are looking for industry to guide and support them.”
To help hotels to deliver on this, Electric Ireland is contributing to the Irish Hotels Federation’s sustainability toolkit which focuses on the four areas of plastics, packaging, energy and Food and water management. Dermot also pointed out that “the cheapest and most sustainable unit of energy you will ever use will be the one you don’t consume.” Within the toolkit you can find Electric Ireland’s 6 Energy Saving tips for Hotels, which is available to help hotels to reduce their energy consumption.
Applying these tips will help hotels to take advantage of a vital statistic from that 2019 booking.com study, which found that 70% of global travellers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not.
Electric Ireland following “our values”
Dermot also noted Electric Ireland’s commitment to sustainability through our stand at the event, “The stand is made from reclaimed birch which can be stored and reused for future events, through simple sanding and reprinting. There is no use of plastic or vinyl, the focus for us is on multi, not single use.”
This commitment extends across every Electric Ireland activity at the event, “Our pencils, a simple staple of merchandise at these events, are made from recycled materials and can be planted to create a seed garden. And when we looked at our printing, we had already moved to use of recycled paper but are now moving digital and won’t be handing out flyers. Instead, we will have QR codes that will allow you to download a digital copy of our Top Tips poster for energy savings, a guide to our Business Online platform and our exclusive SME Premium Insights tool.”
In closing Dermot outlined how Electric Ireland work with business customers, “we help them “future-proof” their business through new technologies like SME Premium Insights, while also receiving expert advice, value and the reassurance that their business needs are met.”
