'Hospitality Sustainability Board Game' to engage the hospitality industry and raise awareness about electricity and water consumption

Dubai, UAE, 8 November 2016

It was a ‘ready, set, conserve’ morning, as Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game, the inaugural activity of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative. Created specifically for the hotel industry, the game, held recently at Media One Hotel, engaged industry professionals from across the city, as they gained insight into Dubai’s commitment to adopting sustainable practices and their role in achieving the goals.

Designed by Dubai Tourism in collaboration with Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF, Roya International and Insignia, the game was created as an educational tool for Dubai’s world-class hospitality industry to contribute towards the city’s goal of sustainability. Participants at the event included staff across all aspects of hotel operations, who worked in teams of 2-3 people to measure consumption baselines and identify opportunities to reduce consumption.

Speaking at the event, Solaiman Alrifai, Senior Manager, Tourism Development, Dubai Tourism, said: “Dubai’s hospitality industry, which recently crossed the 100,000 room threshold, has been a cornerstone of the city’s economy. As we look forward to capacity expansion and increased visitor volumes in the lead-up to 2020 and beyond, it is paramount for us to implement measures for this industry to reduce consumption and conserve resources. Raising awareness of conservation practices is a key pillar of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative, making this game a very significant step towards creating ä clear understanding of how powerful hospitality employees are in bringing about change.

He continued: “We have seen the success of gamification to communicate processes and procedures in an interactive manner that results in increased information retention levels. With this in mind, the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game has been created as an engaging yet informative platform for hospitality professionals to better understand energy consumption in hotels across Dubai. Dubai Tourism will continue to place an emphasis on sustainable development of the city’s hospitality sector to drive greener tourism practices.”

Rabih Feghali – Director of Business Development at Roya International added : “We are honored to have been chosen by DTCM and EWS-WWF to assist in the creation of this exciting new initiative. Having been at the forefront of environmental awareness in the regional hospitality industry, we delivered one of the first LEED certified hotels in the UAE, and continue to engage industry stakeholders at all levels to promote sustainable practices. I encourage all hotels in Dubai to participate in the board game; Its fun, interesting and a true learning experience. A special thank you goes out to the Media One Hotel, Shangri-La Dubai, Media Rotana and Radisson Blu Dubai Marina for their participation in the pilot program.”

Rupert Diss, Executive Director – Commercial Insignia Worldwide Group, said: “Insignia Worldwide Group were privileged to be part of the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game initiative and enjoyed the design process and visualisation of the concept, with the production of a highly finished ‘roof off’ architectural render for the board game, using its in house interior design expertise with Circadian. IWG work with over 120 hotels in 16 countries so could see the social and positive impact of such a great environmental future-proofing initiative.”

In addition to measuring electricity and water consumption levels in hotels, and ways to reduce it, the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game also helps participants understand which areas of the hotel activities are responsible for consumption, and how to optimise the efficiency of those areas.

Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative (DSTI) is an initiative of Dubai Tourism designed to enable the hospitality industry in Dubai to become more sustainable and efficient in managing their resources. Along with raising awareness, the DSTI also aims to develop a framework to promote sustainability, introduce carbon emission reduction strategies, and share innovative solutions to improve sustainability.

- Ends -

About Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism)
With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai Tourism’s mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai among global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate.

Dubai Tourism is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate’s commerce sector, and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the Dubai Tourism portfolio include Dubai Convention and Events Bureau, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (formerly known as Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dubai Tourism
mediarelations@dubaitourism.ae 
[+971] 600 55 5559
[+971] 4 201 0631

© Press Release 2016