HILTON SALALAH RESORT No longer can society ignore its responsibilities to sustain current and future

generations, nor can organizations pretend they have no part to play in the

environmental and social wellbeing of the planet. Amid depleting resources,

global warming and environmental degradation, the need for change

towards sustainability has become more apparent and important than ever

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

P O L I C Y

2017

Hilton Salalah Resort

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Hilton Salalah Resort S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y P O L I C Y

Contents

1. Introduction 2. Analysis 3. Sustainable Tourism Criteria

I. Environmental Practices II. Socio-Cultural III. Quality IV. Health & Safety V. Economic

4. Our Commitment

I. Environmental Initiative II. Corporate Responsibility III. Conservation

5. Strategy I. Effective Sustainable Management II. Maximizing economic benefit to the community III. Minimizing socio-cultural harm IV. Conserving Resources V. Reducing Contamination VI. Protecting Biodiversity and Scenic Beauty

6. Plan & Actions

I. Environmental achievements, measurements & results II. Environmental Committee

7. Accomplishments

I. Training II. Energy Management III. Water Management IV. Waste Management V. Chemical Management VI. Products & Purchasing

8. Appendices I. Appendix 1 – Socio-cultural II. Appendix 2 – Quality III. Appendix 3 – Health and Safety IV. Appendix 4 – Environmental Policy V. Appendix 5 – The “Hilton Salalah Resort” Green Team

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1. INTRODUCTION Hilton Salalah resort has implemented a sustainable program to minimize its operational effects and

decrease its environmental impact.

We are dedicated to being environmentally conscious. Through progressive thinking we strive to guide

the way with environmental initiatives that will have a long lasting impact on our community. We reflect

on all of the operational aspects of environmental sustainability as we meet the requirements of the

hospitality industry.

Hilton Salalah Resort is focused on energy efficiency, waste management, water conservation and

improving our corporate social responsibility.

2. ANALYSIS Tourism at present is the third largest industry in the world and the main industry of Salalah, Oman. As

Salalah strives to be competitive within the world’s tourism market the relevance to Sustainable Tourism

is becoming extensively recognized as the way forward.

To ensure the sustainability of tourism in Salalah, hotels must endeavor to reduce their impact on the

environment as they use much of the city resources: water, oil, and land in addition to producing solid

and liquid waste in great quantities.

These can also potentially harm the society and economy. This negative impact can reduce the quality of

our tourism product as it is not just the beauty, ambience and service of the hotels but the destination,

which is that of Salalah city, its landscapes and natural water resources.

By using sustainable tourism criteria, hotels worldwide benefit from not only safeguarding the life of

their product but also by lowering cost expenditure and upholding the quality of the environment, and

through customer recognition of their efforts, their market value increases.

We will work and act locally by:

• Developing environmental programs, products and services

• Setting environmental impact targets and measuring performance of green programs

• Working with our associates, suppliers, owners and local communities to minimize our negative environmental impact.

• Complying with climate policies and environmental laws.

3. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CRITERIA

Our Sustainability Plan encompasses 5 key areas:

I. Environmental Practices – Minimizing any damage to the environment such as to plants,

animals, and the pollution of water, soil and air. Providing practices that benefit the environment

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through protection and conservation. To be actively involved in reducing energy consumption and

track performance, reducing pollution, conserving biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes.

II. Socio-cultural – Participate in local community programs that contribute to the wellness of

our environment. Implement sustainable procurement practices that assist local community development

and employment. Developing practices that do not harm but revitalize the social structure of the

surrounding community.

III. Quality – Prioritize environmental considerations as an important aspect of decision-making,

value the natural and cultural heritage of Salalah, allowing us to give our guests an authentically

local experience integrate with local partnerships in the community where we do business. These

partnerships allow us to share our stewardship message, reflecting positively on environmental

change, and raise awareness for our guests and colleagues, we will also consider the opinions and

feedback of our guests when examining our environmental programs and procedures as we want

“Hilton Salalah Resort” to remain as sustainable business for the owners, stakeholders and employees,

who are like family.

IV. Health & Safety – The “Hilton Salalah Resort” prides itself at being fully compliant with

all Health & Safety regulations currently in force and goes above and beyond to ensure guests, staff

and visitors’ safety and wellbeing are prioritized.

V. Economic – Develop practices that are self-sustaining economically and contribute to the

economic wellbeing of the local community through employment and buying locally, etc. This ensures a

sustainable business that benefits all.

Our Sustainability Management Plan is supported by the following documents:

a. The “Hilton Salalah Resort” Environmental Policy b. Our Employee Handbook c. Our Guest service Directory

4. OUR COMMITMENT The “Hilton Salalah Resort”, based in Salalah, Oman, has made a firm commitment to meet the highest

international standards in regards to environment, conservation and corporate responsibility. The hotel’s

daily operation is geared towards ecological preservation of the surrounding environment.

I. Environmental Initiatives

“Hilton Salalah Resort” being 18 years old, has for a long time been aware of sustainable tourism

practices, the team without knowing it were becoming Green, the linking up with Green Globe has

helped our team understand the benefits of the green strategy projects, such as replacing light bulbs,

launching recycling programs or choosing more energy efficient technology. These early efforts don't

cost much to implement, have got employees engaged with green ideals and deliver quick results to the

benefit of all.

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1. Our in-room water conservation by inviting our guests to avoid the necessary daily changing of linens has them involved too

2. We use paper with care, and recycle where possible; all our menus and new paper needs are using recycled material

3. The rational use of energy and water

4. Solid waste management

5. Energy saving measures

6. The use of biodegradable cleaning materials

7. “Hilton Salalah Resort” is actively supporting the Blue Energy program

II. Corporate Responsibility

“Hilton Salalah Resort” complies with all employment and labor laws and actively supports local staff

hiring at all levels. The hotel has a code of conduct in place for all staff, as well as health and safety

regulations for both guests and employees. Sustainable products from local businesses are preferred at

all purchasing levels. “Hilton Salalah Resort” provides a guest feedback mechanism and responds

accordingly (via internal program SALT).

III. Conservation

Hotel management understands the impact of tourism on the local community and therefore prefers the

purchase of sustainable local products whenever possible. In addition, The Blue Energy Team at “Hilton

Salalah Resort” actively supports the local community by sponsoring cultural events. It is the goal of the

“Hilton Hotels & Resorts” to identify, monitor and improve all aspects of environmental sustainability on

an ongoing basis, to ensure that all operational legislative and regulatory requirements are met, and to

preserve the natural resources of Salalah and Oman.

5. STRATEGY

I. Effective Sustainable Management

- All PC users receive training in environmental management “ECO Learning Programs on Hilton University”, the rest of employees receive internal sustainability training program.

- Customer satisfaction is measured and corrective action is taken when necessary using SALT – Satisfaction & Loyalty Tracking System

- Promotional materials are truthful and do not promise more than can be reasonably expected from customers

- We are planning to build a composter for managing garden waste

II. Maximizing the economic benefit to the community

- The hotel management is doing its best to support the hiring of locals by attending job fairs for locals and organize a job seekers day in coordination of Manpower to recruit locals.

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- We encourage and buy local goods and services

- The hotel contributes to the community development through donations to various local associations and charities and has adopted the Spelling Bee program to enhance the English language skills of the local government schools

- The hotel helps local taxi drivers by providing them with a Pavilion in front of the hotel along with a special toilet for their ease.

- The hotel supports local artists in displaying their paintings and artifacts in the lobby of the hotel.

- The hotel helps local small entrepreneurs develop and sell products that build on the country’s

nature, history and culture, purchasing and using of local products, and such as Luban incense, local

coconut fruit, meat and dairy products from local livestock, fish from local fisheries and the hotel has

recently switched to using locally manufactured and bottled mineral water rather than the known

brands.

III. Minimizing socio-cultural harm

- Policies are implemented against commercial sexual exploitation, particularly of children and adolescents

- The hotel does not discriminate between gender or race

- All employees are under contract and are paid a fair wage

- Historical and archeological artifacts are not sold, traded, or displayed, except where permitted by law

- The business uses elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage in its design, decoration and food display.

V. Conserving Resources

- “Hilton Purchasing policy” favors environmentally friendly products, building materials, goods, food and consumables.

- Consumption of consumable goods is measured and procedures are implemented to reduce it.

- Non-renewable energy consumption is measured and procedures are implemented to reduce it

- Potable water consumption is measured and procedures are implemented to reduce it

VI. Reducing Contamination

- Waste water including grey water is treated effectively.

- Solid waste management plan is implemented.

- The use of hazardous substances, including pesticides, paints, swimming pool disinfectants and cleaning materials is minimized with a continuous effort to find non-hazardous counterparts

VII. Protecting Biodiversity and Scenic Beauty

- Desert life Protection for and also sea life of the Indian Ocean.

- The business contributes to the support of natural protected areas or biodiversity conservation

- Environmental education is to be provided to staff and customers

- Health & Safety procedures are monitored and controlled by the safety and security department. Company has a Health and Safety committee that meets monthly

- Fire safety procedures in place and evacuation plan in place

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6. PLAN & ACTIONS

I. Environmental Achievements, measurements & results

We continuously strive to improve our energy efficiency. Our goals for 2017 are to –

- Reduce the energy consumption by 4%

- Reduce the water consumption by 2%

- Reduce the waste generation by 25%

II. Environmental Committee

It is very important to have an Environmental Committee (Green team) to ensure that using detailed

action plan and tools to follow the Sustainable Management System (SMS). This team must meet

regularly and be made up of representatives from different departments.

The General Manager who has appointed an Environmental Officer to organize and oversee the

Environmental Committee heads the Environmental Committee.

7. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

I. Training

Sustainable Environmental Training for all employees

Performance Management Skills

Waste Separation of recyclable materials: Paper, cans, glass and plastics

Quality Service

Professional guests relations training (General Training)

II. Energy Management

All technical equipment are maintained and inspections are documented

Energy meters are recorded daily

Energy efficient lighting is 75% throughout

All AHUs (Air Handling Units) are working with VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) which minimize the consumption of electricity.

Domestic water pumps are working with Hydrovars.

Installing new washing machines for laundry with high efficiency of water usage.

Card operated door locks fitted with low consumption batteries

Chiller System on the roof supplying a 1/3 of the hotel with energy efficient cooling

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Double glazing on windows and sliding doors on 10% of the property’s rooms

Doors and windows closed when air conditioning is on in all offices

All chillers and freezers have a daily check log

Sign in guest room asking guest to participate in saving energy

Housekeeping staff are trained to turn off the T.V, AC, radio and any lights they may find on, using only natural lighting to clean except in the bath room where there is no natural light source. Wooden blinds and curtains are drawn upon leaving room and all lights are turned off.

III. Water Management

Water consumption is calculated by guest per night each month

Water meters are recorded daily

Low consumption shower heads installed throughout

Replacement of main tanks float valve to avoid any overflow

Installing Hydrovars for main water pumps to control water pressure

Regular fixing of all leakage in the kitchen and staff toilets.

Placing empty containers inside guest room flushing box to decrease the flushing water.

Decreasing usage of potable water for irrigation by raising STP efficiency

All garden hoses fitted with shut off valves

Housekeeping team are using high pressure machine for cleaning instead of normal hoses.

Watering of gardens are done in the morning or evening

Water quality is tested every quarter

Signage in room for guests asking them to participate in water saving practices (towel exchange program, bed linen change program)

IV. Chemical Management

Employees are trained on optimal usage of materials (as much as necessary, as little as possible)

All cleaning chemicals used on the hotel’s property are biodegradable

All materials are kept locked in a separate room

All Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) forms are easily accessible to staff for all chemicals used

Staff are equipped with PPE (personal protective equipment) when dealing with chemicals

V. Waste Management

Separation bins are placed everywhere in the hotel

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Office paper printed on both sides where feasible and reused as scrap pads and/or within the hotel’s Kids Club

Housekeeping’s old linen is reused as cleaning rags or within the maintenance department

House Keeping uses linen portable containers for beddings and towels instead of plastic bags

All plastic garbage bags are biodegradable

Recycling of used soap from guest rooms.

Recycling of used cooking oil.

Waste segregation by using color coded garbage containers for paper, plastic, glass and metal waste.

Housekeeping old pillows and linens that are in reasonable quality are used in the staff accommodation.

Encourage employees to decrease their food waste by activating the Clean Your Plate program.

Periodical maintenance of boiler burners to reduce emissions

Maintenance of emergency generator to keep it with low rate of emissions.

VI. Products and Purchasing

Purchases are made in bulk where available and feasible

Where available food is purchased locally

Environment friendly supplies are purchased where available and feasible throughout

This written Sustainable Management System Plan (SMS) is to be reviewed and updated each year

8. APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 | SOCIO-CULTURAL

“Hilton Salalah Resort” being in the private sector and a service provider to other local industries, we

seriously take our involvement with corporate responsibility, fair trade, community development, and

local hiring. These influences can be seen as either positive or negative.

Currently in Salalah we are measuring and seeing some of the negative and harmful effects of the

success of tourism to the city, and it is becoming a victim of its own success.

1. We support our local community NGOs, with their local programs for the needy, security, donations of non-used materials etc. We also support the School for Children with Special Needs.

2. We employ from our local area wherever possible, “Hilton Salalah Resort” is regularly supporting the local educational community such as the College of Applied Sciences sor example in participating in the annual job fair organized by the college. And also the hotel has recently liaised with Sultan Qaboos University to provide training to students during the summer period. The hotel also

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participates on annual basis in the Hilton driven global initiative called – Bright Blue Futures which aims at bringing local trainees for work experience.

APPENDIX 2 | QUALITY

“Hilton Salalah Resort” is highly interested in quality; it’s one of our main targets. Quality for us means

attention to our service and products; also it means competence and professionalism of our team.

Several actions have been taken to ensure that we have implemented quality in our daily operation like

global audit by Hilton called QA, SALT program to ensure guest satisfaction and loyalty, trip advisor.

Our employees are our real asset so to ensure their satisfaction we have an annual Global Team

Members Survey (GTMS) followed by action plan. Last survey we achieved an engagement score of

92%.

Quality of food safety is highly important for us thus we have contract with Atyab for a quarterly audit

and

Quality Initiatives

1. Serving water only on request in restaurants and bars

2. Converting to more energy efficient lighting options in targeted ways where the guest experience will not be diminished

3. Minimizing the use of Styrofoam to be a “Styrofoam-free” environment

4. Engage our team members through training, tools, and active involvement.

5. Ensure that our actions and tactics will integrate into the guest experience in a positive way.

6. Maintain healthy business ethics amongst staff, management and business contacts.

APPENDIX 3 | HEALTH & SAFETY

“Hilton Salalah Resort” has a purchase and operating policy for all mechanical equipment and facilities

to ensure that they are as environmentally friendly as possible: low emission and consuming minimum

energy, and safe to use

We have an experienced team of engineers and electricians who maintain the facilities, so that we have

constant check on all equipment being in good working condition. All necessary and mandatory safety

requirements for team of engineers are in order.

National laws and regulations entails that all kitchen and food handling TMs must be holding a health

card that testifies that they are allowed to handle food and beverage items. They are also trained on

food safety and procedures.

“Hilton Salalah Resort” ensures the health and safety of its guests and employees and is committed to

the continuous improvement of working conditions and well-being at work, we aim to provide a

motivating and value based work environment.

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Health & Safety Issues

1. To be able to provide our guests with emergency information in our guest directory:

What to do in the event of Fire – and where to gather.

What to do in the event of an earthquake.

General information – Medical facilities – how to arrange a doctor visit or consultation

Hints and tips on how guests should go about their business safely whilst under our care

2. Provide an employee handbook to all employees during their initial observation period

3. Health & Safety at work training is practiced at “Hilton Salalah Resort”

4. HACCP principles are widely practiced within the food chain at “Hilton Salalah Resort” from delivery to plate and the hotel is in the process to be HACCP certified.

APPENDIX 4 | ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

The “Hilton Salalah Resort” Green Team will identify areas of strengths and weakness environmentally

within the overall operation and attempt to substantially reduce the potential impacts to air, surface

water, ground water, public health, community quality of life, employee health, while operating a high

quality luxury boutique resort environment for its guests which is anticipated not just to meet but to

exceed their expectations.

The Green Team at “Hilton Salalah Resort” will focus on improved communications with neighbors and

strive for continual improvement in pollution prevention while meeting but current regulations. We will

continually search for and implement activities that will improve our abilities to properly utilize natural

and man-made resources both economically and conservatively.

We recognize that sustainability is an ongoing, ever changing responsibility; therefore the Environment

Policy will be reviewed annually.

Policy Statement

At Hilton Salalah Resort, we are committed to

improving our performance towards a sustainable future

while enhancing the guest and team member experience.

To ensure sustainable business practices in the country in which we operate, we will:

• Embrace a mission and strategy that encompasses each and every

team member

• Focus upon our key commitments: energy efficiency, CO2, reduction,

water efficiency, waste reduction, renewable energy, and sustainable

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buildings and operations which includes building design and

construction, hotel operations, and purchasing

• Engage our team members through training, tools and active

involvement

• Ensure that our actions and tactics will integrate into the guest experience in a positive way

• Focus on goals, measurement, and analysis and continually improve

our performance

• Share best practices and comply with relevant local, national and

international legislation

• Liaise with our suppliers and business partners to drive understanding

and improve overall performance

• Influence land use in harmony with nature and construction by

promoting the use of established and innovative best practices

• Support initiatives within the local community

• Communicate achievements to our team members and guests

• Publish our performance against our established targets

APPENDIX 5 | THE “HILTON SALALAH RESORT” GREEN TEAM

To coordinate the program efficiently, the management of The “Hilton Salalah Resort” appointed

individuals to be directly responsible for the running of this program. The team was titled the green

team.

• Mehdi Othmani – General Manager

• Magdy Moharam – Asst. HR Manager

• Chermaine Carreon – Accounts Clerk

• Soumaya Ben Ali – Assistant L&D Manager

Mehdi Othmani 01st August 2017

General Manager