The GSTC Sustainable Hospitality Course at the Ascott Centre for Excellence was held from March 25th to 27th, 2024 in Singapore. This training is part of GSTC’s and Ascott’s training partnership agreement.
Sixteen professionals from hotels and service residences, spanning diverse roles such as front office, engineering, housekeeping, and operations/residence management, convened to exchange insights, recount experiences, and discuss the obstacles they’ve surmounted in embedding sustainable practices within their establishments.
Beh Siew Kim, Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, CapitaLand Investment, and Managing Director, Japan and Korea, of Ascott gave the opening speech of the course, highlighting the importance of training and collaboration among the hospitality industry.
The training was led by GSTC Trainer Antje Martins, who shared her knowledge and expertise with practical examples and valuable insights. Together with Antje, Kingston Khoo co-facilitated the course, sharing his knowledge of the hospitality and tourism industry.
“In the classroom we aim to create an experience where participants can share their ideas and challenges freely and make long-term connections with other industry professionals. Only if we move forward together, as an industry, will we be able to address environmental, social and economic challenges of our time and provide what our customers are asking for – a more sustainable industry. Sharing is, after all, caring,” said Antje.
During the training, attendees received insights from guest speakers from Greenview and learned about making their estates compliant with the GSTC Criteria. Kah Heng Leong and Caylene Tan, who are Sustainability Analysts at Greenview, conducted an enlightening presentation that offered guidance and practical advice on initiating the path to sustainability and preparing for the evaluation process to get certified as a sustainable hotel.
The SHC aligns with the Singapore Hotel Sustainability Roadmap, which aims to get at least 60% of Singapore’s room stock certified to an internationally-recognized sustainability standard, such as GSTC Certification, by 2025. This course represents a substantial move towards reaching that goal, promoting the sharing of knowledge and offering chances for skill enhancement among the participants.
The GSTC Sustainable Hospitality Course is designed for hotels at any point in their sustainability journey. It provides an ideal mix of theoretical knowledge, actionable steps for implementation, collaborative activities, presentations, and discussions.
If you are interested in contributing to the industry’s sustainable transformation, consider checking out GSTC’s upcoming courses here.
