WHY IT RATES: The Spanish-based hotel group has achieved a score of 74 out of 100, the highest of any group assessed with S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse
Meliá Hotels International, the leading hotel company in Spain, has achieved the highest rating in the global travel industry by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).
An annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices, S&P Global CSA covers over 10,000 companies around the world and has focused on sustainability criteria that are both industry-specific and financially material since 1999. For 2022, S&P Global set more stringent guidelines for their assessment, making Meliá’s ranking a tenfold achievement.
S&P Global’s CSA is the world’s most comprehensive and prestigious annual assessment of the sustainability performance of companies across all industries, focusing on specific economic, environmental, and social criteria that are relevant to the growing number of sustainability-focused investors and financially relevant corporate successes.
After the devastating impact on travel brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Meliá has recognized that its guests are looking for more intangible aspects in its hotels and resorts, including sustainability.
“In the current complex business environment, sustainability has become one of the most important values for companies, and for Meliá especially due to the family nature of our business,” said Gabriel Escarrer, Executive Vice President, and CEO of Meliá. “Sustainability is now a key factor in driving our transformation and responding to the demands and expectations of our customers, employees, shareholders, investors, hotel owners, and society in general. For all of them, we are proud to have once again achieved this recognition as the most sustainable hotel company in the world.”
Since 2018, the Spanish hotel company has participated in the S&P Global assessment, growing from third place to top position for Spain and Europe in a span of three years, 2019 to 2021. The company also ranked second globally.
The Most Sustainable Hotel Company in the world ranking places Meliá at the top of its industry with an overall score of 74 points out of 100. Of the criteria measured, Meliá obtained the highest score in social with 72 points and economic with 81 points, in addition to leading in areas that include:
— Risk and crisis management
— Environmental reporting
— Climate strategy
— Social reporting
— Human rights
— Human capital development
— Management of customer relationships
SOURCE: Meliá Hotels International press release.
Source: TravelPulse
