Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp recognises hotels showing the highest level of compliance with 19 Sustainability Requirements launched to support Dubai’s drive to become a leading sustainable destination.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has awarded 70 hotels in Dubai with the ‘Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp’, a new sustainability initiative that seeks to recognise hotels with the highest level of adherence to DET’s 19 ‘Sustainability Requirements’. With Dubai taking the lead as the first city in the region to mandate sustainability criteria for its hotel classification system, the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp (DST) initiative further reinforces its drive to become a leading sustainable destination.
The initiative, launched last year in tandem with the UAE Year of Sustainability, which also saw Dubai hosting the milestone COP28 in Expo City Dubai, seeks to support hotels in the city to achieve their sustainability goals as they meet the highest standards of DET’s Sustainability Requirements. The comprehensive set of requirements that hotels need to implement include sustainable management approaches, performance metrics, energy, food and water management plans, guest education, employee training initiatives, creating sustainability committees within hotel establishments, and Corporate Social Responsibility programmes for local communities.
The recipients of this certification were honoured at an award ceremony hosted by DET at Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, and attended by top hospitality executives as well as DET senior leadership. The awards were presented by His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Mr. Yousuf Lootah, Head of DET Environmental Sustainability & Social Responsibility Committee.
Implementing sustainability practices and activities
The DST Stamp validates the commitment of the 70 hotels to implementing sustainability practices and activities, further meeting the expectations of travel industry partners, and an increasingly environmentally conscious traveller base.
The stamp is awarded based on a three-tiered system of gold, silver, and bronze, related to the winner’s level of compliance achieved. This also reflects a thorough accreditation process overseen by a committee of senior industry professionals, including Ms. Sameera al Rais, Director of Policy & Strategy Sustainable Development at The Executive Council of Dubai; Dr. Hessa Ali, Head of Studies and Dr. Naseem Mohammad Rafee at Dubai Municipality; Mr. Waheeb al Kamali, Director of Municipal Affairs at Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE); a representative from Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA); Mr. Ibrahim al Zu’bi, Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Chair of Global Council on SDG13 at ADNOCi; and Mr. Nicolas Mayer, a representative from Tourism SME, to ensure integrity with the initiative and enforce adherence across strict criteria designed based on global best practices.
The initiative aims to accelerate the tourism sector’s efforts to support the UAE’s NetZero 2050 strategy, and aligns with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to consolidate Dubai’s position as one of the top three global cities for business and leisure, and the best city to visit, live and work in.
Details of all 70 recipients are available on the Visit Dubai website here: https://www.dubaitourism.gov.ae/en/about-us/tourism-projects/dubai-sustainable-tourism-stamp.
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