On World Tourism Day, The Palace Company Calls on Travelers to Protect the Planet That Makes Tourism Possible

CANCUN, Mexico--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 26, 2025--

In celebration of World Tourism Day 2025, The Palace Company unveils a powerful new video campaign capturing the ecosystems that thrive in and around its resorts in Cancun and the Riviera Maya: mangroves, dunes, jungles, crocodiles, sea turtles, and hundreds of species that coexist in harmony with tourism.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250926062020/en/

The message is clear: awareness is not enough - travelers and tourism partners must take action. Guests and the general public are invited to support the conservation of these unique habitats through a direct donation to Palace Foundation. “ Every night a guest sleeps at one of our properties is made possible by the ecosystems that sustain us. Now more than ever, we invite travelers to give back to the planet that makes tourism possible,” said Anuar Chapur, Chief Product and Technology Officer and President of Palace Foundation.

Earth Inclusive: A holistic vision for responsible travel

Earth Inclusive is a comprehensive sustainability strategy encompassing 13 workstreams, from energy efficiency, biodiversity, and circular economy to low-carbon tourism, water stewardship, regulatory compliance, and community engagement. All projects involve team members, guests, suppliers, authorities, and social allies - fostering a replicable model of responsible tourism.

At the heart of this strategy is the Moon Palace Private Reserve, a 315-hectare protected natural area with over 70% mangrove cover, located within the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park. This one-of-a-kind ecological reserve within a hotel development stores 62,490 tons of carbon and mitigates 234,723 tons of CO₂ annually - the equivalent of the emissions from 63,000 people.

The Palace Company also monitors 278 wildlife species - reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals -10 of which are endangered. Through scientific partnerships, veterinary-supported relocations, camera traps, and protective signage, the company preserves the delicate balance between nature and hospitality.

Since 2005, the company has also led a robust Sea Turtle Conservation Program through Fundación Palace, protecting 26,782 nests, 3 million eggs, and releasing over 2.2 million hatchlings. This initiative spans the shores of its key properties, including Moon Palace, Le Blanc, Sun Palace, and Beach Palace.

Circular economy and waste reduction

Sustainability efforts extend to waste and resource management. A composting facility processes organic waste from seven resorts, preventing 587 tons of CO₂ emissions annually - the equivalent of planting 26,000 trees. Meanwhile, a biodiesel plant transforms used cooking oil into clean energy, producing 16,327 liters per year and avoiding an additional 32.3 tons of CO₂.

Annual waste management achievements include:

Smart water management and 100% clean energy

Key water actions include reusing 80% of treated water for irrigation, employing reverse osmosis, chillers, and digital meters to reduce consumption, and sourcing water from CONAGUA-authorized wells. On the energy side, several Palace resorts - Le Blanc Cancun, Beach Palace, Sun Palace, Cozumel Palace, and Playacar Palace - are powered exclusively by the “Dos Arbolitos” wind farm in Oaxaca, and complemented by solar panels, heat pumps, battery storage, and building management systems.

Sustainability in every guest touchpoint

Sustainability also shapes the guest experience - from refillable Bvlgari and Chi bath amenities to menus that feature more than 1,500 kg of organic microgreens, edible flowers, and tubers grown in on-site gardens and aeroponic systems, which save up to 980 liters of water per week. Properties offer vegetarian and low-impact dining, eliminate unnecessary plastics, and have implemented digital check-in to reduce paper waste - proving that true luxury can live in harmony with environmental consciousness.

The Palace Company is also developing a tool to calculate the carbon footprint of individual guests, groups, and events, encouraging conscious travel and impact compensation.

Global certifications and climate commitments

The Palace Company has signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, aiming to reach net-zero emissions before 2050. The group also maintains a financing partnership to reduce water consumption and uphold international certifications. These efforts earned it the HSBC Sustainable Innovation Award in 2022 and finalist recognition in 2023 and 2024.

Its properties are advancing in certifications:

Redefining luxury with purpose

With this vision, The Palace Company reaffirms that luxury is not just measured in stars or amenities, but in the legacy we leave behind.

“This World Tourism Day is an invitation to rethink our choices as travelers and as an industry. Protecting the planet isn’t a trend - it’s the only way we’ll keep traveling,” said Chapur.

Beyond the Earth Inclusive strategy, sustainability at The Palace Company is a cross-functional effort. Fundación Palace empowers the communities where the group operates, while the Social Responsibility area promotes the well-being and development of its people. For The Palace Company, sustainability is not just a value—it’s a way of doing business with purpose, innovation, and responsibility.

About The Palace Company

The Palace Company is synonymous with luxury and unparalleled hospitality. The distinguished conglomerate currently comprises four distinct brands: Baglioni Hotels & Resorts, a luxurious collection of European plan hotels and resorts in Italy, and an all-inclusive natural island resort in the Maldives; the luxury, all-inclusive Palace Resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen & Cozumel; the family-friendly all-inclusive Moon Palace Resorts in Cancun & Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and the 5-diamond, adults-only Le Blanc Spa Resorts in Cancun & Los Cabos.

The Palace Company monitors 278 wildlife species - reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals - 10 of which are endangered, such as the northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) a species of anteater found thriving at the Moon Palace Private Reserve

The Moon Palace Private Reserve, a 315-hectare protected natural area with over 70% mangrove cover, stores 62,490 tons of carbon and mitigates 234,723 tons of CO₂ annually - the equivalent of the emissions from 63,000 people

The Palace Company's Sea Turtle Conservation Program involves collaborators, guests, suppliers, authorities, and social allies - fostering a replicable model of responsible tourism

Since 2005, The Palace Company leads its Sea Turtle Conservation Program protecting 26,782 nests, 3 million eggs, and releasing over 2.2 million hatchlings

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties caused by the war in the Middle East.

Their summit in Seoul came as U.S. President Donald Trump slammed allies for not supporting the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Macron was making his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017 as part of an Asian tour that already has taken him to Japan.

Macron told Lee at the start of the meeting that the two countries can play a role in helping to stabilize the situation in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean media.

At a joint televised briefing afterward, Macron underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and de-escalate Middle East animosities, while Lee said the two affirmed “their resolves to cooperate to secure the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The two leaders did not take questions and did not elaborate on how they would help reopen the strait, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Lee said he and Macron agreed to expand cooperation in technology, energy and other areas. South Korean and French officials also signed agreements to cooperate on nuclear fuel supply chains, jointly invest in an offshore wind project in southern South Korea and to collaborate on critical minerals.

Macron’s Asia trip comes as Trump has ramped up his frustration with allies. In a speech Wednesday, Trump said Americans “don’t need” the strait but the countries who do “must grab it and cherish it.”

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”

Macron has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz through a military operation was unrealistic.

South Korean officials have said they were in contact with Washington on the issue and that Seoul wasn’t considering paying Iran transit fees to secure fuel shipments through the strait.

The United States stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea, not the 45,000 stated by Trump. The U.S. troops’ deployment in South Korea is meant to deter potential aggressions from North Korea.

French President Emmanuel Macron, front left, his wife Brigitte Macron, back center, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, front right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, right, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, center, his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, second left, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, second right, during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)