HBX Group, a leading global company in the TravelTech segment, today presents its Sustainability Report, including the initiatives developed to date and the key elements of its ESG strategy for the next 3 years, focusing on the tourism industry's capacity for positive impact.
HBX Group, which has more than 3,700 employees and a presence in more than 170 countries, has established a plan with more than 75 actions linked to compliance with different ESG commitments. To do so, HBX Group carried out a double materiality analysis, where consultation with its stakeholders has been key to aligning the plan with their expectations.
The company has also established a new framework for working and reporting results that takes into account multiple regulations and certifications in force. In this context, HBX Group has recently joined the United Nations Global Compact, which establishes the 10 principles that guide companies in adopting sustainable and socially responsible policies.
HBX Group has also already started a 3-year plan to adapt its reporting to the new European Directive on corporate information on sustainability, which analyses the impact of the company, but also that of the entire value chain. This has been done based on the identification of more than 4,000 key performance indicators that allow for the implementation of concrete and tangible changes in environmental protection.
Collaboration in the tourism industry
As an example of the objective of collaborative work with partners and clients to achieve a greater positive impact, HBX Group has a Sustainable Hotels Program, designed to highlight the actors who are most respectful of the environment, people and the community. This program already has more than 40,000 establishments with official certifications in terms of sustainability and, thanks to awareness-raising actions carried out in collaboration with multiple partners, the number of hotels with a policy of not using single-use plastics has increased from 500 to 5,000 in just one year.
Elena Pérez, Chief Human Resources & ESG Officer, explains: “We want to leverage our position as leaders in tourism technology to promote sustainable growth and contribute to positive and real change. Our action plan includes training and promotion initiatives, the adoption of increasingly ambitious certifications and reports, as well as strategic alliances with our partners. Only through an efficient and collaborative plan will we be promoting the travel industry to have an increasingly positive footprint on society.”
The human factor as a driving force for initiatives
HBX Group employees around the world are a valuable asset. The Think Big corporate volunteering program, created by the group, enables the development of sustainable micro-destinations in rural environments, empowering these communities and encouraging their economic development without neglecting the protection of natural and cultural resources. The pilot project was launched in Quintana Roo (Mexico) at the beginning of 2024 and collaborates with the “Sacred Paths” area. For two weeks, ten employees of the group collaborated with Mayan cooperatives to perfect their tourism products, achieve greater digitalization and ensure that sustainability criteria are applied.
HBX Group's Sustainability Report also shows the growing commitment of employees, who have volunteered up to 40% more hours than the previous year. Among other actions, their work has been fundamental in reforestation work, which by 2023 has resulted in the planting of more than 12,000 trees in areas such as Mallorca, Brazil and Thailand. These actions have contributed to the company achieving Carbon Neutral certification in scopes 1 and 2 by Carbon Footprint LTD for six years.