This text is part of the special Business Tourism section
The tourism industry was already responsible for nearly 8% of greenhouse gas emissions before the pandemic, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. With the relaunch of the sector, hoteliers have taken the bull by the horns by placing sustainable development at the heart of their mission, obtaining green certification at the same time.
“Sustainable development, sustainable tourism, is not something that we added, or that we were concerned about after the fact,” emphasizes Isabelle Duchesneau, founding director and head of strategic development of the Monastère des Augustines. During the creation of the new Monastery, it was [déjà] at the heart of our DNA and our corporate culture. »
The former monastery of Quebec was converted into a hotel in 2015, after two and a half years of rehabilitation.
“Social innovation, sustainable development: all of this has been part of the values of the Augustines for 400 years. So, for us, it was essential to continue this in all spheres,” continues M.me Duchesneau. His NPO developed the rehabilitation project, which gave life to a museum, a healing center, a hotel with 65 rooms and rooms to rent for corporate events, in particular. Geothermal energy, energy conservation, local suppliers… Everything was thought of in line with this mission during the development work, underlines the director.
The desire to reduce its ecological footprint was also at the heart of the construction of the Four Seasons Montreal hotel, which opened in 2019 in the metropolis.
“I think that we all have, as a corporation, a social responsibility,” says the marketing director of the Four Seasons Montreal, Geneviève Lavertu. And when we are a hotel, like many other businesses, we certainly have an impact: in terms of waste, for example. We are therefore responsible for this impact, and if we are able to reduce it, we say to ourselves: “Why not?” »
These two hotel establishments are among four in Quebec to have obtained five green key certification awarded by Green Key Global, an international environmental distinction recognized by the Association Hôtellerie du Québec. Around the world, 142 other hotels can boast of this.
An engine to go further
“ [La certification] always helped us to keep in mind all the processes that we had to put in place, both for housekeeping and technical maintenance, accommodation, catering… It gives food for thought and a guide, says Isabelle Duchesneau. We can do it our way, internally, but when we have certification like that, it takes us further in our thoughts and our actions. »
All suppliers of the Monastère des Augustines (who are called “partners”) are therefore chosen according to a local and responsible purchasing policy — “from the choice of the pencil until what we put in our store , the purchase of the desk or the lamp”. In the rooms, the air conditioner or heater only turns on when a key unlocks the door. The restaurant team and chef also apply a zero waste policy. The day after a banquet where the number of guests has been overestimated, for example, the Monastery team, which does business with several community organizations, will go and supply them with food.
At the Four Seasons Montreal, the team managed to reduce the amount of organic waste by 20%.
“Composting is good, but if we can compost less, that means being more sensitive to the quantities we produce,” explains Mme Lavertu. We first managed to reduce by 10%. Then 20%. And we continue to decrease, we become really efficient in the management of resources. »
The Montreal hotel also applies a policy of reducing the use of paper. In the bedrooms, the lights turn off automatically when guests leave the room. A water flow reduction device is also in place.
A social mission
In addition to having taken concrete actions to reduce their ecological footprint, the Four Seasons Montréal and the Monastère des Augustines are well anchored in their community, within which they pursue a social mission.
In order to continue to be part of the vocation of the Augustinians, the Monastery has set up a social program intended for caregivers, a way of honoring the first caregivers to arrive in New France. Caregivers can enjoy a moment of respite by staying at the hotel for a rate of only $30, meals included. The Monastery also collaborates with Stratégies Saint-Laurent, an organization that ensures the conservation of the river, by helping it collect waste.
The Four Seasons organizes guided tours of several cultural and historical sites in Montreal, including the Jean-Talon and Atwater markets, so that guests can meet the local fruit and vegetable producers who supply the Marcus restaurant team with quality raw material.
If Isabelle Duchesneau and Geneviève Lavertu see their hotel as a model of innovation in sustainable tourism, they do not want to appear moralistic. However, they hope that their initiatives, and those of all hoteliers who make efforts to reduce their environmental footprint, will inspire others.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Dutyrelating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.