Meaningful travel

 

At Posadas, sustainability and respect are part of our culture and DNA. As leader in the Mexican hospitality industry, we have adopted measures and good practices that allow us to protect and care for nature and the environment, and to promote sustainable tourism. We care about our surroundings, and we are taking action to preserve natural resources, to maintain the environment, social well-being, and economic growth for the future. Local consumption is the foundation for developing the communities where we operate our properties, aiming to benefit the national economy and society.

These are the main elements that make up our Meaningful Travel program, in which we've established the foundations of a strategy that provides competitiveness and sustainability through the following:

• Compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on their three main levels: environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
• Compliance with national laws in matters of sustainability.
• Caring for our guests' and staff's health and well-being.
• Transparency and ethical behavior.
• Respect for the interests of all involved parts.
• Compliance with legal principles.
• Compliance with international social norms.
• Protection and promotion of human rights.
• Supporting and participating in campaigns that seek to eliminate all forms of mistreatment, such as Spotlight, a joint program from the UN and the European Union that invests in girls' and women's equality and empowerment for the achievement of sustainable development.

 

We currently promote the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity through actions that contribute to the protection of the environment to guarantee necessary life resources. At Posadas, we take part in the fight against pollution and climate change through programs and brand standards such as:

• Low flow shower heads
• Low flow sink taps
• Water saving dual flush toilets
• Water saving waterless urinals
• High-efficiency, low emission water heaters
• Solar water heaters
• Heat recovery chillers for heating water
• Chillers with ecologic refrigerant gas
• LED lighting
• Air conditioning and lightning control systems in guest rooms
• Lighting control system in public and service areas
• Organic and inorganic waste separation program
• Waste storage and final use program
• Inorganic waste recycling program
• Biodegradable chemical waste use program
• Plastic reduction program
• Sea turtle protection and release program
• Green area protection and responsible watering program
• Environmental management and normative compliance program
• Greenhouse gas recording program
• Water footprint recording program
• Smoke-free hotels
• Brand standard to eliminate single use plastics by 2022. This plan includes the elimination of plastic straws in resorts, and the installation of amenity dispensers (shampoo, soap, etc.)
• Efficient use of water and treatment plants through reuse for watering and cleaning of public areas.
• Green buildings: use of endemic plants, insulation for walls, transformation of breeze for air conditioning 'mainly at Gran Fiesta Americana Los Cabos
• Compliance of guidelines set by environmental authorities throughout project development and hotel operation
• Organic waste compost program
• Urban garden installation program
• Sustainable transportation program (bicycle)
• Sustainable gastronomy

 

The promotion and protection of human rights is important to us at Posadas.

We bring quality of life to our staff and their families; we help to develop the communities where we operate by bringing education, health attention, and support in case of natural disasters. Through a joint effort that includes our staff, suppliers, guests, partners, and communities, we promote a culture of sustainability, and champion values such as equality, inter-generational solidarity, respect, and preservation and restoration of the environment.

We stand out because we carry out these three main actions:

We have constructive workplace practices

• Physical and emotional wellness programs for our staff
• Safe workplaces in compliance with official norms
• Violence-free workplaces in compliance with labor norms
• Inclusion and diversity

We promote sustainable consumption

• Providing information and promoting it among our clients, guests, and partners

We maintain a culture of child protection

We are committed against the sexual and labor exploitation of children and teenagers, which is why we have assumed the following responsibilities:

• Implementing the National Code of Conduct for the Protection of Girls, Boys, and Teenagers in the Travel and Tourism Sector (SECTUR)
• A policy that prohibits child labor within Posadas and among our suppliers
• Training staff and raising awareness
• Implementing an action protocol to ensure that members of our staff know how to act in presumed cases of labor and/or sexual exploitation of boys, girls, and teenagers
• Supporting initiatives that seek to prevent and eradicate all kinds of violence against women and children, such as Spotlight, a campaign developed by the UN and the European Union. Through Spotlight, Posadas offers up to seven days of free lodging and meals to mothers and children who have been victims of violence and are in a vulnerable state.

Fundación Posadas: 16 years of caring for others

We celebrate 16 years of teamwork, focusing our efforts on four areas: health, education, volunteering, and supporting victims of natural disasters. We have presence in 30 of the country's states and Mexico City. In 2019, we granted 799 scholarships; brought health care to 2,246 patients; and benefitted more than 14,600 people through our volunteer programs.

DONATE

 

In order to achieve balance, we promote a responsible use of resources through a series of goals and strategies that involve human and material resources. At Posadas, we strive for economic growth and development under a clear institutional frame in which management, innovation, growth, gender equality, skill development, and non polluting technology converge. We seek long-term benefits with actions that start today.

Quality of life

• Staff training
• Work/family life balance
• Employee benefits above those required by law
• Career plan

Business and innovation programs

• Energy resources management and analysis program
• Energy resources savings operation program
• Circular economy of recyclable waste program
• Sustainable electric energy purchase program
• Residual water treatment and reuse program
• LP gas equipment to natural gas conversion program
• Recollection and use of vegetable oil for biodiesel production program
• Local product and service purchase program
• Corporate Government good practices

Fair operation practices

• We have an Internal Code of Ethics and Rulebook
• The company's policies in matters of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering apply to our staff, directors, and council members
• Sustainability policy

Process automation and optimization

• RPA (Robotic Process Automation): automation of repetitive tasks that allows us to save time and costs in the face of paper elimination .
• QlikView is a Business Intelligence tool that allows us to collect data and make better use of the information.

Sustainability policy

Our sustainability policy establishes guidelines for our projects: their sustainable development and operation, and an efficient, responsible, and sustainable management throughout the value chain, by ensuring:

• Compliance with the current legislation
• Evaluation of environmental impact

Responsible purchase policys

• Centralized purchases
• Supplier certification

For more details, find our 2019 annual report here: https://www.posadas.com/en/informacion-financiera#informes_anuales_director

 

Our hotels have been recognized for their good practices by several organizations:

On Environmental Sustainability and Health

• PROFEPA / Certification of Environmental Quality in Tourism This certification for companies in the Mexican tourism industry endorses their compliance with federal, state, and municipal laws.
• SECTUR/Certification S (Distintivo S) This certification for companies in the Mexican tourism industry endorses their sustainable operation.
• FEE/Green Key International Certification, awarded in the hotel industry for achieving excellency in environmental responsibility and sustainable operations. It certifies that the property is committed to reducing its environmental footprint.
• FEE/Blue Flag International Certification, awarded to sustainable beaches, marinas, and vessels for achieving excellency in four areas:
  1. Environmental education and information
  2. Water quality
  3. Environmental management
  4. Safety and services
• SECTUR and Secretariat of Health/Certification H (Distintivo H) This certification for companies in the Mexican tourism industry endorses compliance with hygienic food production standards.
• CRISTAL/Cristal International Standards This certification for companies in the international tourism industry endorses compliance with hygienic food production standards.

Awards For Economic Sustainability

• Recognized as a Socially Responsible Company (ESR) for the ninth year in a row.
• Work Atmosphere certification from Great Place to Work (third place in 2019, fourth place in 2020).
• Gilberto Rincón Gallardo Inclusive Company Award: this certification is given by the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare to endorse the implementation and operation of inclusive, egalitarian, and equitable policies that benefit employees in vulnerable conditions.

 

Green Key, our ally for sustainability

Green Key, an alliance to take care of the planet

At Posadas, we are proud to have been awarded with the prestigious Green Key Ecolabel, which reinforces our Meaningful Travel program by adding the strict criteria and good practices from this global standard to our conservation efforts. This way, we add new dynamics to awaken our guests' and staff members' environmental conscience, promoting change and the use of environmentally responsible actions that align with international criteria. As leaders in the Mexican hotel industry, we are the first ones to set the pace.

About Green Key

Green Key, unlocking sustainability in the hospitality industry

Green Key is a program run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), one of the world's most important environmental education organizations. This eco-label represents the hotel industry's commitment to sustainability and mitigating the consequences of hotel operation. So far, 3,200 establishments in 65 countries around the world (out of which 150 belong to Posadas) have been awarded with this eco-label.

High-profile entities recognize the importance of Green Key's work, such as the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Benefits of receiving the Green Key Ecolabel

As an international eco-label, it has a positive impact both inside and outside Posadas, allowing us to comply with actions such as:

• Aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Promoting and investing in eco-technologies that generate medium and long-term savings.
• Measuring and monitoring our hotels' carbon footprint.
• Evaluating environmental performance.
• Monitoring water quality in water, ice and swimming pools.
• Evaluating that the use of chemical disinfectants and their application process follow the requirements approved by authorities.
• Staff training and awareness in sustainability issues.
• Compliance with current environmental laws.

A tool for a global standard

Green Key promotes the measurement and mitigation of environmental impact, by offering technological, marketing, and data recollection solutions through the following tools:

Media and Platforms

• Institutional partnerships with booking platforms allow guests to search for sustainable lodging options.
• Carbon and water footprint calculators.
• National and international good practice contests, and their diffusion.

Information Technologies

• Technical protocol for establishments.
• Online training with digital material.
• ECO-OS: international data platform for the responsible management of waste, energy, water, and carbon footprint.

Green Key App

• Designed to grade and standardize evaluation processes.
• Mexico is the first country to have this platform.
• It evaluates the process for obtaining the Green Key Ecolabel.
• It generates detailed environmental performance reports.
• It allows to share the opening act, the visit reports, the closing act, and the evaluation signature in real-time.

Dashboard

• Allows seeing hotel chain profiles.
• Helps detect risks and areas of opportunity.
• It is also a marketing tool.
• Works as an alert system so that establishments can detect their areas of opportunity.

Green Key Categories for Posadas

Actualmente Green Key tiene un total de 13 lineamientos y 150 criterios de orden internacional, es decir, un conjunto de requisitos ambientales de alto nivGreen Key currently has 13 criteria areas and 150 international criteria, a high-level group of environmental requirements. These are specific recommendations for each hotel to carry out concrete actions in areas such as:

Water

• Better use of water by installing:
  • 0.8/ 1.6 G per flush and 1.2 G per single flush toilets
  • Shower heads with a water flow of less than 2.4 GPM
  • Faucets with a water flow of less than 2.1 GPM
• Make better use of residual water, such as using it for watering, based on federal and local laws.
• Install rainwater capturing systems and use water for adequate purposes.
• Promote the use of chlorine-free paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues to avoid polluting water sources.

Waste

• Specific actions for waste reduction.
• To avoid plastic pollution:
  • Uo Use reusable porcelain containers for single portions.
  • Reuse plastic cans, expanded polystyrene boxes, and plastic boxes, among others, in a joint strategy with suppliers.
  • Avoid additional plastic packaging, or use packaging made of at least 50% recycled fibers.
• Create waste separation dynamics in guest rooms and the hotel's most transited public areas, such as hallways, restaurants, meeting areas, parking lots, etc., and involve guests in them.
• Use organic waste to produce fertilizers (with garden or food waste), or reutilize it to produce biogas, food for animals, etc.

Energy

• Use air conditioning and heat control systems to reduce the carbon footprint.
• Use sources of renewable energy in hotels.
• Promote the use of electric vehicles among guests; install charging stations*.

Food & Beverages

• Only purchase organic, fair trade, and/or locally produced food and beverages.
• To reduce the carbon footprint, always offer healthy dishes on the menu and the buffet, including vegetarian and vegan options*.

* Currently being implemented

What is the Foundation for Environmental Education?

It's an organization that promotes sustainable development through environmental education. This is done by way of five programs:

• Education
  • Eco-Schools
    Engaging the youth of today to protect the planet of tomorrow.
  • Learning About Forests (LEAF):
    Using nature as a classroom.
  • Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE)
    Giving our environment a voice.
• Sustainable Tourism
  • Green Key:An international ecolabel that is awarded within the hotel industry for achieving excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable management. It certifies that the establishment is committed to mitigating the carbon footprint that derives from its operations.
  • Blue Flag: An international award that is given to sustainable beaches, marinas, and boats that have achieved excellence in the following pillars:
    1. Environmental information and education.
    2. Water quality.
    3. Environmental management.
    4. Safety and services.