Sustainability-Linked Bonds: Green Progress or Greenwashing?

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, May 1. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has inaugurated the landmark Dubai Reef project with the launch of the pilot reef modules.

World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards (WSTHA) is calling on pioneers in sustainable travel to gain recognition for their work by entering its inaugural programme before 24 May.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites hotel operators and tourists to be a part of its ‘CF-Hotels’ initiative to help reduce the impacts of climate change.

The airline industry is betting big on sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF—a fuel alternative made from renewable biomass and waste products. Dozens of airlines around the globe are experimenting with it; in November, headlines buzzed following the first fully SAF-powered transatlantic flight on a commercial airline (British carrier Virgin Atlantic). But while the emissions-heavy airline sector is heralding SAF as a silver bullet to its decarbonization goals, experts say environmental pitfalls and other obstacles abound.

Last Christmas, my youngest son got me a "Wonder Mom" coffee mug from his school's holiday fair. It's red and blue with yellow stars and makes me smile whenever I see it in the cupboard. While I appreciate the sweet gesture, the gift didn't come with any superpowers. If it did, they would come in handy on school days. Allow me to explain.

Lisette Keus is on the hunt.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has called for a united international effort to bolster sustainable tourism practices as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) first-ever Sustainability Week in New York, this morning.

Travalyst, the not-for-profit organisation founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, kicked off its annual convening on 16 April in the South of France. The two-day event brings together some of the biggest brands in travel and technology, as well as world-renowned experts to discuss sustainable and regenerative tourism. A key part of this year’s event was a roundtable discussion focused on communities, in which Travalyst’s founder took part, speaking with some of the people and places impacted by travel and tourism.

ATIRA. When the inhabitants of this valley talk about sustainability, they use terms such as ‘Amur’ (love), ‘Teritore’ (territory), ‘Insegnamënt’ (education), ‘Respet’ (respect) and ‘Ambiënt’ (environment). ATIRA, which means ‘immediately’ in Ladin, was born out of this deep sense of responsibility. These words do not need translation, but rather actions, even small ones, concrete and immediate. ATIRA is a series of meetings and excursions that take place every Monday during the summer season, with the aim of making residents and visitors aware of issues that are crucial for the sustainable development of the territory and important for the community. Accompanied by local experts, the excursion participants will not only learn fascinating facts about the mountains, but also how to actively contribute to the protection of the territory. With ATIRA you become a guardian of the Dolomites.

With the spotlight on sustainability like never before, the hospitality industry the world over can – and is – playing a key role in supporting government ESG initiatives and green goals.

Amadeus, the travel technology giant, is offering a program that provides subsidized sustainability training for small and medium enterprises in the tourism industry to the Americas for the first time.