Organisations & Operators,

Plastic waste and pollution is a challenging issue on Curacao. The island has more plastic waste than can currently be managed and an overburdened landfill site is expected to reach capacity by 2025. So the TUI Care Foundation, l social enterprise Green Phenix and Mambo Beach have joined forces in a new initiative to create a cleaner Curacao. By installing recycling stations along Mambo Boulevard, waste is collected and brought to a recycling facility where the plastic waste is turned to attractive new products. The facility employs people from vulnerable communities who guide tourists and create awareness of the global challenge of plastic pollution.
High volumes of waste are created every day at the popular tourist hotspot of Mambo Beach on Curacao. Previously, waste was unsorted and all ended up at the island’s landfill. Now, thanks to the new initiative, plastic bottles and aluminum cans are collected separately at six recycling stations placed along Mambo Boulevard. The waste is then recycled and upcycled to new products in a local facility by Green Phenix. The social enterprise not only collects waste from the Mambo Boulevard recycling stations, but it also sorts through the general waste bins to separate out items which can be recycled, especially after beach parties. This highlights the ongoing need to continue raising awareness about waste separation.
Visitors looking for a unique, sustainable experience can visit the facility and take an educational tour through the colourful journey of the plastic recycling process. A tour guide walks them through the process of sorting plastic by type and colour, shredding it into flakes and finally creating new, well-designed products that also make great holiday souvenirs. The educational tour also raises awareness of waste reduction and provides information and practical tips on how to create a more sustainable island.
Alexander Panczuk, Executive Director of the TUI Care Foundation: “Raising awareness of sustainable tourism to help local communities thrive is as the core of the ITUI Care Foundation’s work.. This initiative aims to tackle the challenge of plastic pollution on Curacao and raises awareness among visitors and locals of how they can help to keep the island and its beaches clean. It also creates new employment opportunities for people from vulnerable communities which makes it a good example of how tourism can bring positive change to a holiday destination.”
The project is part of TUI Care Foundation’s new Destination Zero Plastic programme, which aims to tackle the global plastic crisis by inspiring local communities and tourists to take action against plastic pollution, particularly in island destinations. It also cultivates the mindset that plastic can be re-used as a resource and supports innovative and community-driven solutions to collect, process and upcycle plastic into saleable products. The programme aims to create green jobs and accessible income opportunities for local people and to create eco-tourism experiences, including tours, to upcycling workspaces.ADVERTISEMENT

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In a bid to become a carbon neutral organisation by the end of 2023, the ground transport and accommodation specialists, CMAC Group, has announced a partnership with Trees4Travel, an initiative dedicated to neutralising traveller’s impact upon the environment through reforestation in developing countries.
As part of the collaborative project, CMAC’s clients can choose to decarbonise their ground travel and the company will facilitate reforestation projects on their behalf.
Trees4Travel will calculate and grow the necessary trees to neutralise the emissions, translating trips into trees. Each tree will absorb an estimated 164kgs of CO2 in its first 10 years. The scheme also aims to restore valuable ecosystems and biodiversity as well as creating employment opportunities to support local communities. CMAC has also announced that it will additionally pledge to compensate all internal CO2 emissions for travel and facilities before the end of 2023.
Further than this, the scheme goes beyond planting trees. Whilst precious habitat is given time to regrow, CMAC and Trees4Travel are eager to compensate for travel carbon emissions as soon as they can. Therefore, every tree planted will be assigned with a share of an investment into a United Nations Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) renewable energy programme.
The award-winning managed ground travel specialists, CMAC Group, is the partner of choice for many big-name brands. CMAC’s trusted team and reliable supply network safely transports nearly 6,000 travellers every day on behalf of clients, such as the Home Office, TUI, The AA, and G4S.ADVERTISEMENTCMAC’s extensive network of certified suppliers enables it to offer seamless, time critical ground transport for any business scenario, whether that be managing flight disruption for airlines, organising business travel for private and public sector clients, arranging crew travel for train and freight organisations, or providing onward travel for customers on behalf of breakdown companies.
This latest announcement exhibits the company’s commitment to investing in a sustainable and carbon neutral future and is part of a wider strategy which is working to keep environmental impact to the absolute minimum.
CMAC has adopted multiple sustainable working policies to become ISO 14001 accredited, installing green office equipment, such as push controlled taps to minimise water usage and introducing recycling stations to reduce waste. Rideshare opportunities are available for customers and with its global network of access to 2.5 million vehicles, CMAC is committed to cutting out unnecessary mileage to reduce emissions, by obtaining the nearest possible vehicle to their customer. Finally, CMAC has already mandated that employees with company cars will use electric or hybrid vehicles only.

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Emirates Islamic’s net profit jumped 23% to AED 701 million for the first half of 2022 on higher funded and non-funded income with a significant reduction in the cost of risk reflecting improved business sentiment.
Key Highlights – First Half 2022
Strong operating performance on higher funded and non-funded income coupled with disciplined cost management action
– Total income up 16% y-o-y driven by higher funded and non-funded income
– Expenses increased 13% y-o-y as EI invests for future growthADVERTISEMENT- Impairment Allowances reduced 12% y-o-y reflecting improved business sentiment
– Operating profit improved 19% y-o-y
– Net profit increased 23% to AED 701 million on the back of higher funded and non-funded income, coupled with lower impairment allowances
– Net profit margin at 2.92% reflecting the increase in profit rates in the first half of 2022
Strong capital and liquidity combined with a healthy deposit mix enabled the Bank to support customers
– Total assets grew strongly by 14% to AED 74 billion in H1 2022
– Customer financing at AED 47 billion, increased 11% from end 2021
– Customer deposits at AED 54 billion, increased 15% from end 2021 with CASA balances at 76% of deposits
– Credit Quality: Non-performing financing ratio improved to 7.1%. Coverage ratio strong at 120%
– Capital: Tier 1 ratio at 17.2% and Capital adequacy ratio at 18.3% reflect the strong capital position of the Bank
– Headline Financing to Deposit ratio at 87% reflects continued healthy UAE liquidity
Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Chairman said:
“We are delighted to announce a strong set of half yearly financial results, delivering a net profit of AED 701 million for the first six months of 2022. Our solid performance was based on higher funded and non-funded income, and higher customer financing reflecting the UAE’s positive economic sentiment. We have also benefitted from a significant reduction in the cost of risk supported by a strong economy.
We were pleased to support the TECOM and DEWA IPOs on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) by enabling key clients to participate and benefit from these landmark listings in our role as Receiving Bank. Being a leading UAE bank and a prominent long-term player in the region’s banking sector, we were delighted to support the UAE leadership’s plans to list state-owned entities on the DFM, further boosting UAE capital markets.
We play a pivotal role in the UAE’s growing Islamic banking sector and remain committed to supporting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the global capital of Islamic economy. The Emirates Islamic Charity Fund continues to support various humanitarian causes in the UAE through charitable contributions.”
Salah Mohammed Amin, Chief Executive Officer said:
“Emirates Islamic’s total assets grew by 14% to AED 74 billion during the first half of 2022, demonstrating our support for a strong UAE economy.
Emirates Islamic was among the first Islamic banks to integrate digital innovation and our digital focus continues to reap us rich rewards in terms of customer loyalty and market share. In the first half of 2022, we further enhanced our digital channels and offerings across multiple fronts, including ATM / CDM transformation and added features on our Whatsapp Banking.
A superior customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. We proudly uphold the highest levels of customer excellence as we set new benchmarks for innovation-driven Islamic banking in the region. 
We expanded our product offerings with the launch of the Emarati Family Savings account, Emarati Business Account and Super Savings Etihad Guest Account. We continue to invest in new technologies and strengthen our offerings to expand our appeal across the wider UAE population.”

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Hilton enhances ESG targets to drive climate action and social impact

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Helping the global business travel industry create a positive impact and a better future for people and the planet is the mission behind the Global Business Travel Association’s relaunch of its charitable arm, the GBTA Foundation. The GBTA Foundation will focus on the strategy and execution of GBTA’s global sustainability programs, supporting initiatives related to climate action, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and other talent-related topics via education, research, and advocacy.
“We are excited to re-establish the GBTA Foundation within a fine-tuned scope of ‘people and planet,’” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “It’s an important moment in GBTA’s 54-year history, as we renew our commitment to creating lasting, positive impact. The GBTA Foundation, along with its newly appointed Board of Directors, will focus on making a positive impact in our industry and beyond.”
Paul Abbott, CEO for American Express Global Business Travel, will serve as the Chairperson of the GBTA Foundation Board of Directors for the next two years. “I’m very pleased to lead the GBTA Foundation at this critical time − to pave the way for progress via ambitious programs and initiatives focused on sustainability,” he said.
GBTA’s new Sustainability Program initiative, which launched in late 2021 to build a greener future for business travel and help reduce its climate impact, will now be managed under the Foundation, as will GBTA’s existing people-related programs, WINiT by GBTA and GBTA Ladders.
Appointed by the GBTA Board of Directors, the Foundation Board will help ensure ambitions are large enough for the environmental and human sustainability challenges at hand, and to elevate the work of GBTA in research, advocacy, and practitioner learning – to reach those beyond the industry.ADVERTISEMENTLeaders from across the global travel industry with distinct interests and strengths in key ESG (environmental, social and governance) areas will serve as the Board of Directors for the Foundation for staggered terms of one and two years:
Paul Abbott, CEO, American Express GBT (two-year term)
Leslie Andrews, Director of Global Travel Category, JLL (two-year term)
Erica Gordon, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Public Affairs and ESG, Hilton (one-year term)
Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines (two-year term)
Darragh Ormsby, Global Travel Manager, Google (one-year term)
Tyronne Stoudemire, Senior Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Hyatt (one-year term)
Caroline Strachan, Managing Partner, Festive Road (two-year term)
Denise Truso, GBTA Board President (as per Foundation bylaws)
Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA (as per Foundation bylaws)
Delphine Millot, Managing Director, GBTA Foundation (ex-officio)
The Board held its first meeting this month and is prioritising Foundation governance, providing guidance on GBTA’s existing people and planet program efforts, and determining strategic areas of focus and priorities within environmental and human sustainability initiatives for 2023.
Delphine Millot, hired by GBTA in January 2022, will administer the Foundation as its Managing Director and Senior Vice President-Sustainability. According to Millot, “This is an important opportunity for GBTA to create lasting impact via relevant research, education, and other programs that not only benefit our industry but bring the general public and policy makers closer to us on these relevant topics.”
The GBTA Foundation was originally formed in 1989 as a US 501c3 charitable arm of GBTA. Until early 2018 when it was put on hiatus, the GBTA Foundation was the center of all GBTA education and research. The education and research areas of GBTA were subsequently moved to the core GBTA organisation’s 501c6 tradeshow arm where they will continue to reside when not related to the “sustainability of people + planet” focus of the Foundation.

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The U.S. Travel Association has announced the launch of its new Sustainable Travel Coalition, which aims to align the travel, transportation and technology sectors in developing and advancing strategies to enable a more sustainable future for the U.S. travel industry.
With nearly 60 member organisations at launch, the Sustainable Travel Coalition will serve as an advisory body to inform U.S. Travel on sustainability issues, opportunities and concerns within member organisations and destinations. A dedicated Policy Committee will help drive the broader coalition’s efforts to enable regular progress and collaboration.
U.S. Travel has several long-term goals, which will inform the coalition’s near-term policy priorities. The long-term goals:
Spotlight industry progress by showcasing innovative technologies and calling attention to the ongoing actions and leadership of travel professionals in the sustainability space.
Amplify industry goals and commitments to conservation, best practices, waste and emission reductions and both long- and short-term investments.
Highlight why sustainability matters and the importance of it as a core to travel’s future.
Play offense by identifying and promoting proactive policies to help the industry achieve its goals.
Defend against harmful policies that slow progress toward sustainability goals or penalise the industry without progress.
“Seeing the world and saving the world should not be mutually exclusive,” said U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes. “As technology advances and consumers demand more sustainable travel options, the work of this coalition will ensure that the U.S. travel industry can meet the needs of an evolving market while also protecting our planet’s natural resources.”
“This is clearly an issue that spans well beyond the travel industry itself to practically all other sectors of the U.S. economy,” added Barnes. “By bringing together stakeholders across related industries, we are aligning leaders in travel, transportation and technology on the critical issues that will affect their businesses for decades to come.”ADVERTISEMENTTRAVEL INDUSTRY LETTER TO CONGRESSTo accelerate investment in sustainable travel, more than 100 travel industry organisations—including groups within and outside the Sustainable Travel Coalition—called on the federal government to advance the following near-term priorities:
A tax credit for the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), such as those proposed in the Sustainable Skies Act (H.R. 3440/S. 2263).
An enhanced tax credit to increase the availability of electric vehicle charging stations.
An enhanced tax deduction to increase energy efficiency upgrades to commercial buildings.
Federal investments to protect and restore natural attractions, including recreational waterways, shorelines, and National Parks.
Other clean energy incentives for investment in renewable energy deployment, green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, direct air capture and other innovative technologies to lower the carbon intensity of transportation fuels and the power grid.
In addition to the priorities detailed in the letter, the coalition will identify and advocate for other priorities in the coming months.

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With the parliamentary term over and MPs back in their constituencies, we now know that either former chancellor Rishi Sunak or foreign secretary Liz Truss will soon be the UK’s next prime minister.
The Conservative Party leadership election, brought about by the resignation of Boris Johnson on 7 July, is due to run throughout the summer – with national television debates and local party hustings taking place across the country. The contest could reach a sudden conclusion if one candidate decides to pull out, as occurred in the 2016 leadership election between Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom, but failing that eventuality, we expect the winner and new PM to be announced on 5 September.
ABTA obviously doesn’t get a vote and will remain neutral, as is appropriate for a politically impartial organisation. But we will be putting forward the industry’s priorities to both candidates, making clear the issues the travel industry needs government to grasp. These include future resilience planning and recovery from Covid-19, managing cost of living impacts, the need to reconsider labour mobility arrangements between the UK and EU, and the importance of ensuring better coordination across government in relation to international travel policy.
On the latter point, ABTA welcomed the recent formation of a new aviation council, which formed part of the government’s strategic framework to deliver for the sector over the next decade. The council is due to bring together representatives from leading travel businesses and their main trade bodies, including ABTA, with government ministers and officials right across Whitehall. Crucially, the council will include participation from Number 10 and HM Treasury, which is something that has been called for by the entire aviation and travel eco-system as a learning from the pandemic.
With the change of administration taking place, we will be delivering our message that improving the quality of engagement between industry and government is critically important – and that this group has the potential to make a worthwhile contribution.ADVERTISEMENTWe are also continuing to call for a minister to be given specific responsibility for overseeing the cross-government approach to international travel policy, especially in times of crisis. Due to the disruption being seen at airports and with airlines, travel has been high on the media and political agenda in recent weeks. The impact on travellers has been covered frequently by media and referenced by several politicians in parliament, including during the business, energy and industrial strategy (Beis) committee evidence session held on 14 June.
ABTA has been focused on ensuring accuracy and perspective in media coverage, making clear what consumers can expect in terms of their rights if they suffer delays or cancellations, but also seeking to remind audiences that most people are getting away successfully without significant issues.
We’ve also sought to bring a similar balance in our political engagement. Following the Beis hearing, we followed up with the, chair Darren Jones MP, to ensure members understood the perspective of intermediaries, including travel agents, tour operators and TMCs, and the value travel experts bring in terms of offering consumer advice and reassurance.
We’ve also held recent meetings with the tourism and aviation ministers, respectively, and continue to engage with the Future of Aviation all-party parliamentary group to spread similar messages to MPs and peers across parliament.
Getting in earlyAlongside our political engagement, much of ABTA’s advocacy work on a day to day basis happens with officials as they seek to carry forward instructions given by ministers. For example, last week the Department for Transport published its Aviation Passenger Charter which ABTA, along with other industry representatives and consumer bodies, had been considering over recent weeks.
Experts from ABTA attended several workshops as the content took shape, and this is an excellent example of the detailed engagement that is often under way behind the scenes. We are also engaging regularly with the teams responsible for Atol reform and the Package Travel Regulations to provide evidence around what is happening across the industry and to inform future policy development. This side of our work never stops and will continue throughout the summer.
Over the weeks ahead, my team will also be busy refreshing our briefings for newly appointed ministers. ABTA will be seeking to get in early to ensure individuals given responsibility for the policies that matter to travel understand our views.
Additionally, we have some new research due for publication in September on the value of our sector, and the prize that is on offer in terms of recovery and future growth. There will be more information on this, including how members and the wider sector can help us promote the importance of travel to your own MPs, in the autumn.
Whoever emerges victorious from the race to be PM, ABTA will – to borrow the phrase used by one of the candidates – hit the ground running.
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA

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