➔ Portman shows the way
PORTMAN Travel claims to have launched the most comprehensive corporate responsibility programme by a travel management company in the UK market. The move comes in a period
that has seen cost-cutting take precedence over green initiatives but might signal a turn of the tide. Called Responsibly Portman,
the TMC says the new scheme will 'touch every part of the business' and involve clients, employees, partners and suppliers. It has teamed up with ClimateCare and Manage CO2
to help its customers
measure, manage and offset the impact of their business travel on the environment. Practicing what it preaches,
Portman will measure and offset its own carbon foot-
AIR FRANCE CLEANS UP ITS ACT
AIR FRANCE has changed its aircraft cleaning methods in a bid to save an estimated 57 tonnes of CO2
emissions and
over eight million litres of water a year. The new 'Ecoshine' cleaning
process was initially imple- mented for its fleet of short and medium haul aircraft but has now been extended to its long haul aircraft. The new technique means cleaning and polishing a Boeing 777, which required 10,000 litres of water before, now only requires 100 litres, and the time required to clean the aircraft has been slashed by more than half. The airline also reports a
30 per cent reduction in noise energy levels since 2005 thanks to the modern- isation of its fleet, and aims to reduce the average fuel consumption per passenger to 3.7 litres per 100km by the end of 2012, down from 3.96 in 2008.
REZIDOR continues to lead by example having recently added another title to its list of accolades in the social responsibility arena. For the third year running
the US-based Ethisphere Institute named Rezidor one of the world's most ethical companies for its 'real and sustained ethical leadership'. The company's group-
wide Responsible Business Programme dates back to 1989 and covers social and ethical issues within the company, the health and safety of employees and guests and the company's impact on the environment. “We are committed to a responsible way of doing
business on a long-term basis,” says Kurt Ritter, Rezidor president and CEO. “We translate words on ethical practices into action, create innovative ideas to benefit the public, and raise the bar for standards within our industry,” he adds. The group has increased
the number of eco-labelled hotels to 55 per cent of its portfolio – a validation system carried out by an independent third party – and added two environ- mental flagship hotels, the Radisson Blu Hotel East Midlands Airport and the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel and Conference Centre Stockholm.
print, and benchmark its use of electricity and gas, as well as recycling and waste management efforts. Portman Travel's chief
people office, Dawn Murphy, says, “This is the first time a UK-based TMC has introduced such a large-scale corporate responsibility initiative and thanks to the technology
provided by ManageCO2 and the support of ClimateCare, we can reach out to all of our clients and employees and really make a difference.” She adds: “Corporate
responsibility is becoming more and more integrated into everything we do and, with increasing legislation, is no longer a voluntary option.”
REZIDOR'S ETHICAL ACCOLADES
Five minutes with... Vivien Sirotkin
Director of Hotel Operations QHotels
Vivien is responsible for service and standards in QHotels’ 21 four-star properties across the UK. She has previously worked for Common- wealth Holiday Inns of Canada, Diageo, Paramount Hotels, and Cliveden, and became the fi rst female general manager of a fi ve-star hotel in Europe when she worked at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? A trip to Arizona to look at a possible resort development, staying in the five-star Phoenicia hotel, which was fabulous. The trip included golfing in a Jack Nicklaus desert complex where manicured greens sat alongside parched red terrain, with silhouettes of cacti in the sunset and the hissing of snakes in the background. This ‘tough’ assignment was crowned by enjoying an authentic Thanksgiving dinner in the home of some American colleagues.
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? The Unitd States. I was fortunate enough to work over there with Diageo looking for opportunities to expand the Gleneagles brand. During this time I got to see and experience more than a dozen different states and realised how very individual they each are. The differing characters of the people and the varied landscapes, attractions and culinary styles in each state was staggering.
What three items do you never leave without when travelling on business? My hair straighteners, a hot water bottle for most of the year when travelling in England (I simply can’t sleep if I’m cold!) and, finally, a good book or a crossword to help me relax and sleep.
What single thing could be done to improve your role in business travel? Having a personal assistant to make all of the arrangements for me!
What destination/s would you like to visit next and why? My husband worked for Princess Cruises so I have been lucky enough to cruise to many parts of the world. Still on my list of countries I’d really like to experience are South America, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska.
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 59
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