Historical article: This page concerns Arabian Travel Market 2023. It is not a current event announcement, ticket page or programme listing. The original article was published on 1 May 2023; this revision corrects its historical framing and separates verified event facts from HCA’s subsequent training recommendations.
Arabian Travel Market’s organiser records the 2023 edition as its thirtieth, held from 1–4 May at Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme “Working Towards Net Zero.” The organiser reports more than 40,000 attendees, more than 2,100 exhibitors and representation from over 150 countries. These are organiser-reported figures, not an independent attendance audit. [1]
Those facts establish the event’s context. They do not prove that every exhibitor reduced emissions, that a hotel achieved a sustainability target or that any particular technology delivered a promised saving.
What this historical account does—and does not—claim
The 2023 event brought sustainability into its published theme. This recap does not claim HCA attended a particular session, interviewed a speaker or observed a supplier demonstration. It also does not attribute the practical checklists below to the event programme.
Earlier wording described the event as upcoming and gave it a different theme. The corrected account uses the organiser’s historical record. Unverified claims about named companies, projects and programme sessions are not retained.
For future editions, consult the organiser’s current event information directly. Do not use the dates, attendance figures or theme in this archive as the details of another year. Event schedules can change, and a historical article should not silently become a new registration page.
Turn a conference theme into a hotel question
A theme can prompt useful discussion, but a hotel needs a specific operational problem to act on. “Become greener” is too vague to assign, measure or verify. “Find and repair recurring guest-bathroom leaks, then review water use with occupancy context” creates a more useful starting point.
The following sections are HCA’s practical learning applications, not reported ATM 2023 conclusions. They are suitable for a small hotel team beginning an improvement project with management and engineering support.
Ask four questions before choosing a project: What is happening now? Which part can this team influence? What evidence would show a real improvement? What safety, hygiene, access or service requirement must not be compromised?
Lesson 1: Establish a baseline before advertising progress
Choose a measure, time period and boundary. Record the source: utility bills, a verified meter, purchase records, weighed waste or a controlled maintenance log. Do not combine estimates and measured data without identifying them.
| Topic | Possible starting measure | Context to record |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Total kWh in a defined period | Occupied room nights, weather, operating areas and major changes |
| Water | Metered cubic metres or litres | Occupancy, laundry arrangement, irrigation and leaks |
| Food waste | Weighed kilograms by source | Covers served, menu, event size and measurement method |
| Consumables | Units purchased and used | Stock movements, guest volume and substitutions |
| Maintenance | Defects found, repaired and rechecked | Location, response, repeat failures and responsible owner |
These measures answer different questions. Electricity use is not itself a carbon-emissions figure. Counting fewer purchased bottles does not establish a complete lifecycle benefit. Use suitable methods and competent review when moving from an operational measure to an environmental claim.
Lesson 2: Use established methods for carbon and water reporting
The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance describes the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative as a methodology and tool for calculating the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings. Its Hotel Water Measurement Initiative provides a common approach to water measurement. Consult the current tools, scope and instructions before using their outputs. [2][3]
A simple team spreadsheet is useful for assigning actions, but it is not a substitute for those methodologies. Do not label a worksheet “HCMI-compliant” merely because it includes room nights and energy use. Likewise, using a recognised calculation method does not by itself mean the hotel is certified.
Assign responsibility for gathering the data, checking completeness, choosing the correct factors where needed and approving what can be communicated. Retain the source records so another reviewer can understand how the result was produced.
Lesson 3: Start with operational controls, not only purchases
Consider avoidable waste already visible in the operation. Engineering can investigate faults and controls. Housekeeping can report leaks and damaged equipment. Food and beverage teams can review demand, replenishment and leftovers while maintaining approved food-safety standards.
For a buffet, test smaller replenishment quantities when service volume allows, record unmet demand and measure what remains. Do not leave unsafe food in service to reduce a waste figure. For rooms, investigate whether lighting or cooling is operating unnecessarily in unoccupied areas without compromising ventilation, humidity control, safety or guest requirements.
Employees should report and observe within their role. They should not alter electrical, water or building-control systems without authorisation. Savings that create hygiene problems, discomfort or equipment damage are not a successful improvement.
Lesson 4: Ask suppliers for evidence behind the claim
A trade-show conversation can produce ideas. Before buying, turn the sales claim into a testable brief. Ask what problem the product solves, which comparison supports the claim, what conditions are required and which costs or impacts are outside the quoted saving.
For a refillable amenity system, examine hygiene, refill procedure, tamper protection, maintenance, packaging, wastage, supplier reliability and guest usability. Do not assume a refill system is operationally suitable simply because it reduces the number of small containers purchased.
For equipment, ask for performance specifications, installation requirements, training, service support and the basis of any payback calculation. A supplier’s result in another building is not automatically your hotel’s result.
Trial a manageable area before a wider rollout. Define the stop conditions in advance: unsafe use, unacceptable quality, unreliable data or a service problem the team cannot control.
Lesson 5: Involve guests without shifting responsibility onto them
Invite guests to participate in optional programmes clearly and respectfully. Explain what the choice changes and how they can request normal service. Do not imply that a guest is irresponsible for needing fresh linen, accessible assistance or a different arrangement.
A towel-reuse message is only useful when housekeeping follows the requested choice reliably. Check that the guest’s instruction reaches the correct team and that standard hygiene and service commitments remain intact.
Review accessibility and comfort when introducing new products. A dispenser that some guests cannot operate, unclear written instructions or a difficult refill arrangement can create a new barrier. Ask for feedback and make adjustments rather than treating the first design as final.
Lesson 6: Communicate a specific result—not a sweeping label
Prefer a statement with a measure, boundary, period and method over a broad phrase such as “completely eco-friendly.” Explain what was compared and what remains uncertain. The US FTC Green Guides summary is a useful jurisdiction-specific reference on substantiating environmental claims and avoiding broad unsupported benefits; it is not UAE law. [4]
Illustrative internal calculation: A hotel records 1,200 kg of a defined waste stream over 10,000 occupied room nights, then 900 kg over 9,000 occupied room nights. The total falls by 25%. The rate changes from 0.12 to 0.10 kg per occupied room night, a reduction of about 16.7%.
Both calculations are correct, but they describe different comparisons. Neither proves that a particular intervention caused the change. The team must consider the measurement boundary, service changes and data quality. The figures here are fictional, not results achieved by HCA or an ATM participant.
Before publishing a claim, ask a reviewer who was not involved in writing it to explain what a reasonable guest would understand. If the likely impression is broader than the evidence, narrow the wording.
Run a six-week learning project
In week one, choose one problem and confirm its operational owner. In week two, collect a baseline and check the records. In week three, agree a small intervention, staff briefing and safety boundaries. In weeks four and five, monitor both the measure and service quality. In week six, compare results, record limitations and decide whether to continue, change or stop.
This is a suggested learning schedule, not a validated sustainability certification programme. Some projects need a much longer baseline, seasonal comparison or specialist assessment. Record that requirement rather than forcing a conclusion after six weeks.
Use the included Sustainability Action and Evidence Register to record the problem, baseline, unit, boundary, action, owner, review date and any proposed claim. Leave public claims unapproved until the evidence has been checked.
Use the archive as a training exercise
Ask learners to separate three kinds of sentence: a historical fact supported by the organiser, an operational recommendation made by HCA, and an environmental claim requiring measurement. Then give them a fictional supplier promise and ask what evidence they would request.
A strong answer identifies the missing comparison, measurement period, boundary and operational conditions. A weak answer repeats “sustainable” or assumes that exhibiting at an event proves product performance.
This exercise also teaches responsible historical publishing: keep the year visible, correct errors transparently and avoid inventing attendance or firsthand reporting.
Practical HCA working resource supplied with this article.
Download Hotel Sustainability Action and Evidence Register (CSV)
Related HCA guides
Update references
- Discover the Opportunities for Sustainable Growth at ATM Dubai 2023 — Hospitality Career Academy
- History of the Show — Arabian Travel Market / RX
- Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative — World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
- Hotel Water Measurement Initiative — World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
- Environmental Claims: Summary of the Green Guides — US Federal Trade Commission
Frequently asked questions
Is this an announcement for the next Arabian Travel Market?
No. It is a corrected historical account of the 2023 edition with separate HCA learning applications. Consult the organiser for current schedules and registration.
Do the practical lessons mean a hotel is certified or net zero?
No. A learning project, action register or measurement tool does not establish certification or a net-zero outcome. Such claims require the relevant scope, evidence and review.
Sources and scope
[1] Arabian Travel Market: History of the Show. Source for the 2023 date, venue, edition, theme and organiser-reported attendance figures.
[2] World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance: Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative.
[3] World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance: Hotel Water Measurement Initiative.
[4] US Federal Trade Commission: Summary of the Green Guides. US jurisdictional example.
All visual scenes are illustrative hospitality imagery, not photographs documenting ATM 2023. The practical projects and numerical example are HCA editorial teaching material.
Frequently asked question
Is this an announcement for the next Arabian Travel Market?
No. It is a corrected historical account of the 2023 edition with separate HCA learning applications. Consult the organiser for current schedules and registration.
Hotel Sustainability Action and Evidence Register
