At the end of March, on the occasion of International Day of Zero Waste, the tourism sector received an important new boost in sustainability. World Tourism Organization and United Nations Environment Programme presented the Recipe of Change initiative, which aims to halve food waste in tourism by the end of the decade.
This represents one of the more concrete efforts of industry collaboration, as major international companies such as Hilton, Accor, Radisson Hotel Group, TUI Group, Iberostar and Meliá Hotels International have already joined. Their combined reach means that changes can quickly go beyond individual best practices and become the standard.
A key feature of the initiative is its practical approach. Companies will not stop at commitments, but will systematically monitor food waste and introduce adjustments in daily operations – from more precise meal planning to raising guest awareness.
Organizers emphasize that reducing food waste is not only an environmental responsibility. It also brings concrete business benefits: fewer losses, greater stability and more efficient resource management in times of supply chain uncertainty.
The initiative remains open to new partners, inviting all tourism providers to actively contribute to a more sustainable development of the sector.
Source: Slovenian Tourist Board, March 2026
