Australia and New Zealand’s largest hotel operator, Accor, is delighted to announce that four of its hotels in Queensland have been Sustainable Tourism Certified by Ecotourism Australia, a leading organisation in sustainable tourism certification.

The certified hotels include Sofitel Brisbane Central, ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street, Novotel Brisbane South Bank, and Pullman & Mercure Brisbane King George Square. These properties have demonstrated a commitment to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship, making them leaders in eco-friendly hospitality in the region.

Ecotourism Australia’s certification is a rigorous process that evaluates a hotel’s environmental performance, community engagement, and contribution to conservation. Ecotourism Australia assesses businesses across the four pillars of sustainability: sustainable management, environmental impacts, cultural impacts, and socio-economic impacts for which each business is independently audited.

Accor is proud to have achieved this certification for its Queensland hotels, which reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism. By implementing initiatives such as energy and water conservation, waste management, and community engagement, these hotels are setting an example for the industry and contributing to a more sustainable future.

“We are thrilled to have our hotels certified by Ecotourism Australia,” said Sarah Derry, CEO of Accor Pacific. “Sustainability is redefining our business model and we are proud to lead the industry forward by investing in our sustainability actions and activities in the region.”

“This achievement is a testament to our dedication to sustainable practices and our commitment to environmental stewardship. We believe that responsible tourism is crucial for the long-term well-being of our planet, and we are proud to lead the way in eco-friendly hospitality.”

“In addition to the Ecotourism Australia certification, Accor continues to work towards its sustainability goals. Global initiatives include ambitious targets for reducing energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation across all Accor hotels, apartments and resorts.”

Over the coming months, Accor will be enrolling a further 150 hotels in the Pacific into the Sustainable Tourism Certification program.

Ecotourism Australia’s Sustainable Tourism Certification program was introduced in 2022 and the standard is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Sustainable Tourism Certification is designed for all tourism operators and businesses in the tourism supply chain to meet and gain recognition for best practice sustainability initiatives. Earlier this year, Accor entered into a strategic partnership with Ecotourism Australia to certify all Accor hotels, apartments and resorts across Australia and the Pacific as ECO certified or Sustainable Tourism certified businesses.

Ecotourism Australia CEO, Elissa Keenan, said, “We are delighted that Accor Pacific is leading the industry across Australia and New Zealand with this commitment to achieving international best practice sustainability using Ecotourism Australia’s 30 years’ experience in sustainable tourism.”

“This is a key partnership for our organisations and we look forward to working with Accor properties across their hotel, apartment and resort brands on sustainable and responsible tourism practices.”