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Luxury travel industry must do more for sustainability: Sonu Shivdasani on HTLS 2021
Sonu Shivdasani joined a virtual fireside chat with Brunch editor Jamal Sheikh on the fourth day of HTLS 2021.
Sonu Shivdasani, chief executive office and co-founder of luxury resorts operator Soneva, said on Friday the tourism industry needs to embrace more sustainable choices as shared his ideas about what’s next for the sector in the new world order during the 19th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
During a virtual fireside chat with Brunch editor Jamal Sheikh on the fourth day of HTLS 2021, Shivdasani talked about how his resort continued to host guests during the coronavirus pandemic and a bit about his personal life.
Sustainability is much more on the agenda, Shivdasani said, and people need to realise that any economic activity benefits the rich most and what they consume affect the poorest.
As he listed plastic waste as one of the issues the hotel industry has to tackle, Shivdasani said they are still struggling to get rid of it.
“The technology is there, the knowledge is there and the understanding is there… But has the travel industry truly embraced sustainability? No, only lip service,” he said.
Sonu Shivdasani, chief executive office and co-founder of luxury resorts operator Soneva, said on Friday the tourism industry needs to embrace more sustainable choices as shared his ideas about what’s next for the sector in the new world order during the 19th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
During a virtual fireside chat with Brunch editor Jamal Sheikh on the fourth day of HTLS 2021, Shivdasani talked about how his resort continued to host guests during the coronavirus pandemic and a bit about his personal life.
Sustainability is much more on the agenda, Shivdasani said, and people need to realise that any economic activity benefits the rich most and what they consume affect the poorest.
As he listed plastic waste as one of the issues the hotel industry has to tackle, Shivdasani said they are still struggling to get rid of it.
“The technology is there, the knowledge is there and the understanding is there… But has the travel industry truly embraced sustainability? No, only lip service,” he said.|#+|
Shivdasani, who promised a private jet to the Maldives for Indian travellers at the end of summer 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, said his idea helped travel kick start again. “We realised that this idea of 'one island, one resort', where no one came in and out, was a bliss,” Shivdasani said.
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The hotelier said that luxury travellers from India have indeed changed after the coronavirus pandemic. “They are staying a little longer. They are more sensitive, more engaged and thrive social interaction,” he said.
Shivdasani’s comments came as Soneva has announced the launch of Soneva Soul, a new wellness brand. It will combine thousands of years of ancient healing with modern science and medicine to reconnect mind, body and soul, the company has said.
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"Wellness permeates all that we do at Soneva: our sustainable, barefoot philosophy that reconnects our guests to the earth; our life-affirming natural locations; our delicious yet health-focused cuisine; and our life-changing guest experiences," Shivdasani said.
