HBX Group publishes its ESG 2024 report, advancing its sustainability strategy

HBX Group, a leading independent B2B travel technology marketplace, has taken its commitment to sustainability a step further with the publication of its ESG 2024 Report. This document outlines the company’s most significant environmental, social and governance (ESG) developments, reaffirming its role as a key player in the sustainable transformation of the travel industry.

Over the past year, HBX Group has continued to promote initiatives that encourage more responsible tourism. These include the expansion of the Sustainable Hotels Programme, whichalready has more than 40,000 certified establishments enrolled and more than 6,000 that do not utilise single-use plastic. Through the Sustainability Hub, launched in June 2024, the company has created a knowledge exchange centre to foster industry collaboration and improve the social and environmental impact of its network of customers, suppliers and partners. Currently, this programme already has more than 300 active subscribers.

“Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of our growth and transformation strategy. With this ESG 2024 Report, we are not only reaffirming our commitment to more responsible tourism but also setting out a clear roadmap to continue driving positive change in our industry”, says Elena Pérez Cabello, Chief HR, Comms & ESG Officer at HBX Group.

These efforts have been recognised internationally, with HBX Group receiving the Climate Change Award at the A World for Travel event, in recognition of its outstanding work in promoting
sustainable practices and its leadership in the fight against climate change within the tourism sector. It also received the CSR Best Practice Award at the 15th Sustainability Week in Spain for
its Think Big programme, which focuses on creating sustainable micro-destinations and empowering rural communities through corporate volunteering.

Improving climate impact has also been consolidated in the company. HBX Group is committed to carbon neutrality by offsetting its Scope 1 and 2 emissions for the eighth consecutive year and
has strengthened its environmental contribution with more than 16,000 trees planted and 2,976 tons of CO₂ offset through the HBX Group Forest project. It also launched the Net Zero Website
Smart Label, a pioneering iniciative that automatically offsets the CO₂ emissions generated by the group’s web traffic.

At the centre of this transformation to a more sustainable business model are people. In 2024, the company dedicated more than 67,000 hours of training, of which 6,250 hours were on ESG content. In addition, the internal commitment to the company’s purpose is reflected in the increase in eNPS from +39.5 in 2023 to +43.1 in 2024, a clear indicator of HBX Group’s focus on human rights, workplace wellbeing and the professional development of its teams.

Social impact has also been key to HBX Group’s ESG strategy. Through the corporate volunteering programme, the company’s workforce has dedicated more than 12,000 hours to community projects close to the areas in which we operate. In addition, the Think Big programme has enabled the development of sustainable micro-destinations in Quintana Roo, Mexico, promoting regenerative tourism and the protection of natural and cultural heritage. Also, ‘Think Big’ has been one of the winning initiatives in 2024 in the category of ‘Good Practices in CSR’ in the 15th Sustainability Week in Spain.

As part of its commitment to accessibility, the company has expanded its network of accessible accommodation, with 135,000 establishments now adapted for people with reduced mobility.
In the area of governance, HBX Group has strengthened the integration of ESG criteria into enterprise risk management and has taken a key step in transparency with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Many companies are reassessing their commitments to ESG principles; however, HBX Group remains committed to these objectives. “We believe they are essential to our strategic ambitions and to support global initiatives such as climate action and socio-economic progress. While we are not responsible for the actions of others, we will continue to work with our partners to make tourism a driver of sustainability,” says Elena Perez.

Looking ahead, HBX Group will continue to strengthen its impact on sustainable travel by increasing its portfolio of ESG-compliant services and will also continue to collaborate with its value chain to reduce environmental footprint and generate a greater positive social impact. On the environmental front, it is developing a new decarbonisation and energy transition plan, which will include the development of an internal tool to measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions, obtaining ISO 14001 certification and creating a climate risk map to anticipate the impacts of climate change on the business.

The company also plans to expand its Think Big programme internationally, with the aim of replicating its regenerative tourism model in other regions and incorporating new cooperatives and
local communities into its value chain. HBX Group will also work on diversifying its portfolio of sustainable services, strengthening the link between innovation, social impact and profitability.
Finally, the company will continue to promote transversal training in sustainability in all areas of the company, consolidating an internal ESG culture that will accelerate the transformation of the
group from within.

The article HBX Group publishes its ESG 2024 report, advancing its sustainability strategy first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.