To achieve a goal, consistency and truly believing that something is possible are essential. As part of our continuous improvement efforts and with a view to remaining at the forefront of environmentally committed and sustainable activities both locally and worldwide, Fuerte Hotels has started 2016 by signing the United Nations Global Compact and adopting the ten principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).

In doing so, we have set ourselves yet another challenge in terms of our Corporate Social Responsibility policy and we have raised the bar a little higher concerning our environmental commitments.

At Fuerte Hotels we do not believe that having good intentions and claiming that we are “greener” or “more sustainable” is enough; we must demonstrate it on a daily basis with firm commitments. Amongst the objectives of our latest undertaking (signing the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism of the WTO), two are worth particular mention: on the one hand, the promotion of Social Responsibility in companies within the tourism sector, and on the other, the primary goal of promoting a real and lasting commitment in the sector to the ethical principles set out by the Compact in terms of the development of responsible and sustainable tourism. Both objectives are a perfect fit to our corporate values, which is why we have decided to adopt them as part of our sustainable management activities.

What does it entail?

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism of the WTO sets out guidelines for the development of responsible and sustainable tourism, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2001.

Its 10 principles, which cover the economic, social, cultural and environmental components of tourism, serve to maximise profits in the sector whilst minimising any possible negative impact. The initiative partners the Global Compact as to provide support within the tourism sector.

Specifically, the WTO is a specialist organisation within the UN that plays a significant role in the promotion of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism. Herein lies one of the principal factors that has led Fuerte Hotels to want to form part of this commitment, as promoting the philosophy of responsible tourism is also one of the company’s fundamental values.

“With more than 12,000 participants from over 145 countries, the Global Compact is the world’s largest sustainability initiative.

Companies that have signed up to the Global Compact share the belief that business practices based on universal principles help more prosperous societies to develop and contribute to constructing a more stable, equitable and inclusive global market.”

 

Ten principles

Companies that have signed up to this initiative should work towards the implementation of the following principles:

1. Tourism’s contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies
2. Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment
3. Tourism, a factor of sustainable development
4. Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its enhancement
5. Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities
6. Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development
7. Right to tourism
8. Liberty of tourist movements
9. Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry
10. Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Commitments required

All companies signing this agreement must also accept the key requirement for participating in the Global Compact: drawing up an annual communication regarding the company’s progress and efforts to implement these ten principles as part of its business management. This must be carried out on an annual basis and also include:

1. A declaration of continued support to the Global Compact and its principles, signed by the company’s CEO. In our case, Mr. Jose Luque, General Manager of Fuerte Hotels, was responsible for implementing this item.
2. A description of measures taken by the company to adapt to and implement the ten principles within its 4 main scopes (human rights, standards, environment and anti-corruption).
3. Measurement of results, i.e. the number of objectives or indicators accomplished.

Our approach

To hit the ground running, at Fuerte Hotels we have proposed including both the measures taken to adapt our management activities to the ten main principles in addition to the indicators and the extent to which targets have been met in our CSR report. In future, we will develop new objectives on a yearly basis to try improve our responsible behaviour and implement new indicators to help us measure our progress. We hope that our desire to continuously improve and the help from all stakeholders with whom we are in contact (customers, employees, suppliers, etc.) will translate into a successful venture and satisfaction for all of us.

Finally, we would encourage anybody with an interest to become involved in this initiative, with any proposed sustainable measures or improvements welcome. We would like to hear feedback from our customers and our employees in particular, so let us know how we can improve!