Launching the second edition of the “Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal”

The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai announced the launch of the second edition of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp initiative, to honor the emirate’s hotel establishments that are most committed to the 19 sustainability requirements adopted by the department, which are a set of mandatory standards aimed at supporting efforts to consolidate Dubai’s leading position as a sustainable tourism destination.

The Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal was launched in 2023 as a tool to verify compliance with sustainability standards and educate guests and the international community about its environmental practices, in addition to contributing to supporting Dubai’s broader sustainability agenda.

The Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal includes three categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze, and has been approved by a committee of distinguished experts in the sector, to ensure the highest levels of integrity and independence.

The department stated in a statement that hotels can submit applications to obtain the seal starting yesterday, August 15, until September 15, noting that the hotels that will obtain the seal in 2024 are scheduled to be announced in January 2025.

“The Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal goes beyond being a recognition of excellence in sustainability. It demonstrates the support and guidance provided by our wise leadership to establish Dubai’s global position in sustainable tourism,” said Yousef Lootah, Executive Director of Corporate Strategy and Performance at the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, and Chairman of the Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee at the Department.

“As we launch the second edition of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal, we call on all hotel establishments in Dubai to highlight their commitment to sustainability and contribute to our shared vision of building a more sustainable future, in line with the key objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) to make it the world’s leading city for work and leisure, and the best city in the world to live, work and visit,” he added.

The 19 Sustainability Requirements were launched in 2019 to guide hotels towards adopting environmentally friendly practices. These requirements are part of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism initiative launched by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai to drive the transformation of the tourism sector towards adopting a sustainable, low-emission, and highly efficient model.

The 19 sustainability requirements include a wide range of criteria that hotels must implement, including measures to enhance energy and water efficiency, implement waste management programs, guest awareness, and employee training initiatives, with the aim of enhancing environmental performance and ensuring compliance with sustainability standards.

The first round of the initiative saw applications from 278 hotels, 70 of which received the gold category, 28 the silver category, and 31 the bronze category.