Novotel celebrates its ocean commitment with two new programmes

Trade Arabia

22-05-2025

Ahead of World Ocean Day (June 8), Novotel marks the first anniversary of its transformative three-year partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reaffirming its commitment to protecting the wellbeing and longevity of the ocean with the launch of two new food policies.
They include: Novotel's Sustainable Seafood Principles in partnership with WWF France and the launch of a pioneering global Plant-Forward food ambition across 600 hotels.
"At Novotel, we are taking decisive action to protect our oceans, and the partnership with WWF is a driving force of this commitment,' said Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel Global Brand President. 'Through their guidance and expertise, we can drive change at scale across our 600 hotels and more widely across the industry and communities we reach. At Novotel, we're committed to making it easier to make choices that have a positive impact on the longevity of the planet, on marine life, and on future generations. From responsible sourcing to a Plant-Forward approach, our ocean impact strategy is designed to drive real change. Together, we can lead the way toward a healthier, more sustainable future - one positive choice at a time."
DELICIOUS, HEALTHIER, MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD
The new Sustainable Seafood Principles were created in partnership with WWF and led by the fisheries experts at WWF France. The new guidelines, launched globally across Novotel's 600 hotels, include banning of 350 species of endangered seafood species, and promoting responsible fishing by 2027, serving only MSC-certified wild-caught species or responsibly sourced local fish, and use ASC- or organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp, fostering supplier collaboration where needed. WWF France has created Sustainable Seafood Training, a comprehensive global training programme for Novotel chefs, food and procurement teams, and is working alongside Novotel and Accor to improve traceability.
Furthermore, Novotel has pioneered a Plant-Forward1 ambition, targeting all its 600 hotels to have a minimum of 25% plant-based menus by 2026. Today 39% of hotels dedicate at least 25% of their menus to plant-forward options. Novotel is committed to offering market leading, tasty, sustainable, and Plant-Forward philosophy at scale, guided by a leading culinary institute.
EDUCATION & AWARENESS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Novotel welcomes more than two million family stays a year and this summer families at Novotel will experience two new edutainment games designed by WWF France and Novotel to inspire and empower children to be ambassadors for the ocean. 'Guardians of the Mediterranean' is an interactive card and digital game inspired by the WWF Blue Panda boat, created to educate families about ocean conservation in a fun, engaging way. 'Sea Turtle' is a lively digital quiz that helps children learn about the threats faced during turtle migration, including ghost gear, plastic and pollution.