At MAp, we start every (sustainability) project with Purpose. It is the golden thread running through and connecting all other elements. And the sustainable steps your hotel takes reflects what your overall Purpose is.

But let’s be clear about what your Purpose actually is: Purpose is the reason your hotel exists – its overall WHY. It is the derived meaning that comes when you know that you created something that you believe matters – to yourself, to others, to society. Be aware, Purpose does not entail earning a Profit. It must go above and beyond making money and be broad, humanistic and socially-engaged, linking your hotel to a greater good. Your Purpose will be your guiding compass to making this world a better place and growing your business, at the same time.

WHY Purpose matters

• Brings you clarity and clarity = power
• Creates a culture of innovation
• Attracts the right people (guests, employees, partners) for your hotel
• Builds resilience through turbulent times
• Delivers personal satisfaction to the hotelier

1. Discover your personal Purpose
2. Define your hotel’s Purpose
3. Embed your Purpose into your hotel business
4. Prioritise your sustainability activities based on your Purpose: People, Planet or Profit
5. Activate your Purpose – because Purpose is a verb, not a noun!

The social dimension of sustainability, People, deals with the impact your hotel has on the society for which and in which it operates. It’s about being a good host, a helpful neighbour, a quality employer and partner, a responsible and reliable brand – while serving the direct and indirect needs of your stakeholders.

And who are those stakeholders? While there are many stakeholder groups involved in making a hotel project a success, in this blog post, we focus the action steps on four key groups that your hotel has a major impact on: 

• Your guests
• Your employees
• Your partners
• Your local community

Unfortunately, the hospitality and tourism industry has not always had a good reputation when it comes to its social impact. On a bright note, though, as the industry touches every human on earth in one way or the other, there is so much opportunity to positively contribute to the lives of your guests, your employees and partners, and your local community – now and in the future.

WHY People matter

• Only teamwork makes the dream work
• Money always comes from People
• People will make or break your brand

1. Achieve a 50/50 balance between men and women in your management
2. Give equal employment opportunities to People already residing in the local community
3. Give equal management positions to People already residing in the local community
4. Offer employment opportunities without discrimination by gender, race, disability, religion and more
5. Offer management opportunities without discrimination by gender, race, disability, religion and more

You may also download our free guide on how to write inclusive job ads here. 

We know that many hoteliers are aware of how closely connected their hotels are to their surrounding environments. However, the relationship between hotels and Planet is not a healthy one; hotels create enormous negative impacts on the environment all along their lifecycles.

Therefore, the ultimate goal of environmental sustainability is to minimise your hotel’s environmental impact on the region and the Planet at large through the following key elements:

• Energy
• Waste
• Food
• Water

By tackling these elements holistically, hotels are able to limit their environmental impact and achieve carbon neutrality. And by implementing smart environmental measures they realise significant savings too – a win-win!

WHY Planet matters

• There is no Planet B
• If you put Planet over Profit, your Profit will grow healthy as well
• Act now to environmental regulations – or react later

1. Compost bio waste
2. Plant a biological garden
3. Cook to order and eliminate the buffet
4. Make smaller food portion sizes
5. Donate extra food

Learn more about the topic in our free waste guide. 

We won’t argue: Profit is important. Without it, your hotel will cease to exist. But what is also important is that the Profit earned is:

• Achieved in a sustainable way = not at the cost of People and Planet
• Distributed in a sustainable way = used to secure your hotel’s operationality in the future while also making this world a better place

Money is the lifeblood of your business, but it is not your reason for being – that’s what Purpose is for. But how can you pursue your Purpose if you are not profitable and financially strong?

That’s the paradox: organisations that only exist to earn a Profit don’t last long. But organisations that don’t prioritise Profit can’t survive long enough to fulfil their Purpose. In other words, in the context of sustainability: it’s hard to be green when you’re in the red!

WHY Profit matters

• Profit allows for progress in your business
• Profit enables you to uplift, empower and better serve your stakeholder groups
• Profit makes the world a better place (when you share it with the world)

1. Donate a share of your Profit
2. Create an employee donation scheme
3. Match employees’ donations
4. Create a guest donation scheme
5. Match guests’ donations