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Eight travel agents recently travelled to Majorca to ride Iberostar’s Wave of Change sustainability movement and improve their knowledge of responsible travel, as part of the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes programme
“Would you really want to eat a pregnant lobster?” Iberostar’s sustainability marketing lead Alicia Alonso Menjon is sharing some of the weird and wonderful ways in which staff in-resort might explain to clients why certain sea life may be off the menu. I’m sat among a group of eight – completely captivated – travel agents, who have all earned their place on the Spanish hotel brand’s TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes fam trip to Majorca (its heartland), to be immersed in its Wave of Change sustainability movement.
Officially launched in 2018 but germinating long before, the motion has already led Iberostar, which has more than 100 four- and five-star hotels around the world, to replace all single-use plastic in its properties with reusable or compostable materials – think carafes in each bedroom to be filled at cold water dispensers, and recyclable coffee pods. The cleaners will even sort the rubbish in your room bin. But Wave of Change goes way beyond single-use plastics.
It’s based around the three strategic pillars of: a circular economy (moving away from the world’s current – and enormously wasteful – economic model of “take, make, throw away”); responsible consumption of seafood; and improving coastal health.
During our three nights at Palma’s Iberostar Cristina (and visits to multiple other properties), we are well and truly ensconced in Iberostar’s work on the circular economy: a drive to be completely waste-free by 2025.
To help achieve this, “3R” teams have been established in the hotels, responsible for reducing, reusing and recycling. It’s no mean feat to “bring waste to life” for travel agents, but Iberostar achieves it! After a lively quiz, we dart about Cristina on a trash-themed treasure hunt, culminating in a specially curated escape (hotel)room.
Iberostar has also pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 – 20 years earlier than many others in the industry. This will be achieved through such initiatives as reducing its energy consumption by 35% by 2030, and offsetting the carbon footprint that remains through protecting nature in-destination, such as the mass-planting of carbon-guzzling mangroves in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
We are ushered into Cristina’s kitchen to see Iberostar’s new artificial intelligence technology in action. The Winnow machine takes photos of food as it is thrown away and captures the data for Iberostar to analyse trends in wastage, saving both food and money. The technology will be rolled out to all the Spanish properties by next year... pretty revolutionary for hotels with buffets.
This all feeds into the hotel’s sophisticated segregated bins system, with huge scales enabling the property to record how much of each kind of waste it is generating. During our trip we even visit TIRME – a Europe-leading waste management plant.
“All hoteliers and suppliers are publishing their action towards sustainability, but it’s good to be able to really put a stamp of approval on the resorts. Seeing the waste management technology in action was fascinating.”
Valerie Hibbert, commercial manager, Midcounties Co-operative
Iberostar pledges to source seafood in a way that cares for oceans and fishing communities but maintains excellent gastronomy and local culinary traditions. While an emphasis is put on recognised seafood certifications, Iberostar works with small fishing communities in-destination on best practice.
Suppliers do not fish over-exploited species and only catch those which reproduce at a rate equal to or greater than that caught. Closed seasons are also respected, e.g., not eating pregnant lobsters. Iberostar has set its sights on 100% responsibly sourced seafood by 2025.
We’re lucky enough to chow down on some mouth-watering local seafood during our trip, with an “honest food” experience at Iberostar Playa de Muro’s Gusto restaurant going down a storm with the agents – think black paella and Spanish fideua.
“I’ve been posting on social media and clients in Ibiza said, ‘Oh my goodness we didn’t even notice half these things in our room!’. It was a nice way to engage with them. Obviously they were already sold on Iberostar, but it was the icing on the cake.”
Savannah Bracewell, marketing and media coordinator, Travelmax
On our final day we head out on a sun-drenched speedboat to take a snorkelling tour of a Posidonia seagrass reef. Our guide Tia explains how the eco-system keeps our Mediterranean ocean clean and healthy – which is why Iberostar works to study and protect it as part of its commitment to improving the health of the coasts around its properties by 2030.
As I glide above the swaying grass – spotting a purple starfish as I go – it strikes me that without it, the Mediterranean may not have the crystal clear water that draws clients in the first place.
Iberostar has built a coral lab and coral nursery at Bavaro in the Dominican Republic as part of an international reef restoration project there and in Jamaica and Mexico (which now also has a coral nursery). Its scientists are driving published research and the brand has awarded more than 15 scholarships for marine research. The sustainability ethos is one emanating from the company’s ownership, with chair Miguel Fluxa Rossello’s daughter, Gloria Fluxa Thienemann, serving as vice-chair and chief sustainability officer of the family business.
At the end of our education-packed days (Iberostar’s UK and Ireland business development manager Aishling McLoughlin tells me a little Wave of Change learning will be weaved in to all future Iberostar educationals), we unwind with delicious dinners, cocktails at Origins Beach Club and – on one night – a stunning sunset dinner at Katagi Blau atop Iberostar Llaut Palma.
It’s here Travelmax’s Savannah Bracewell reflects: “It’s great to know we as trade can choose a brand like Iberostar that we know will support the planet at the same time as satisfying our customers... We’re all so good at selling a luxury lifestyle, but not so good at selling a sustainable lifestyle just yet, which is going to be the future and something clients may not even know they want [yet].”
“I love talking to my customers about sustainable tourism and how when they visit an Iberostar hotel they will be part of the sustainability journey. I do find customers are finding that a lot more important.”
Elan Hemmings, Travel Counsellors
Jet2holidays offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Iberostar Cristina in Majorca, departing Manchester airport on 14 April 2023, for £589pp based on two adults sharing. Includes 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers, jet2holidays.com
Iberostar is the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes Accommodation Partner
Jet2holidays and Jet2.com, which are working on becoming “the leading brands in sustainable air travel and package holidays”, provided the flights and transfers for the fam trip. Here’s the walk behind the talk:
On the ground
In the air
In resort
