A JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION

On 22^nd October 2025 MVB Sustainability Consultants hosted, what proved to be a highly popular and informative forum at the Merusaka Hotel in Nusa Dua focusing on bringing the Tourism and Hospitality industry into a new phase of sustainability.

With two highly respected, and very academically based, keynote speakers and a substantial list of expert presenters, the forum attracted nearly 200 participants for a whole day session. MVB Founder and Forum Moderator, Alistair Speirs said that his objective in having the Forum was exactly what the title implied namely: transforming the hotel and tourism industry to a more sustainable framework and ultimately getting as many businesses internationally certified as possible. “The tourism business now is more competitive than ever and today’s travelers expect that the hotels they stay in and the theme parks and venues they visit, are caring, responsible and environmentally friendly. And the way to prove that is by being certified to international standards,” he said.  

The path to getting that certification comes from understanding and adhering to internationally set criteria covering the businesses operations, for example those set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. And to do that MVB Sustainability Consultants creates programs for hotels to follow to ensure their Sustainability Policies and SOP’s match the international standards. This involves not only understanding their energy use, water consumption and waste management but also their community engagement, their employee training, their CRS programs and their care for biodiversity and other external factors.

Helping to open eyes and inspire change were the following speakers who made short but insightful presentations on their chosen area of expertise, which expertly backed up the organisers’ objectives and helped to increase understanding of the many critical areas that have to be addressed. Here is the list.

1. Eco Mantra: A Bali-based environmental engineering firm providing sustainable design and MEP services to reduce the ecological impact of buildings and destinations. Co-Founder Sean Nino Lotze

2. Eco-Bali: A responsible waste management service in Bali offering collection, composting, and recycling solutions for households and businesses. Account Lead Atila Gati Rahmadiantio

3. Control Union: A global certification and inspection provider offering sustainability assurance and verification for agriculture, forestry, textiles, and other supply chains. Social and Tourism manager Ferly Apriliadita

4. PT. Suparma: An Indonesian sustainable paper manufacturer producing FSC-certified tissue and paper products with a strong commitment to circular economy principles. Corporate and Brand Communications Nabila Syavira

5. PT. PIPA: An Indonesian water efficiency company specializing in water loss management, audits, and sustainable solutions for the hospitality and industrial sectors. Director Nicolas Perez

6. Shiva Industries: A Greentech company providing on-site machines that rapidly compost organic waste into fertilizer for hotels and businesses. Founder Tobias Wilson

7. Sundaya: An Indonesian group manufacturing solar energy product and providing end-to-end solar PV installation, leasing, and maintenance services. Business Development Manager Turinto Marjono

8. Urban Nature: A Bali-based landscape architecture studio specializing in biophilic design, biodiversity, and integrated water management for urban environments. Landscape Architect Jelle Terry

9. Coral Triangle Centre: A marine conservation organization focused on establishing and managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and promoting sustainable practices. Senior Marine Conservation Advisor Marthen Welly

10. Parongpong Raw Lab: An R&D company transforming low-value waste like ghost nets into high-value materials and products using innovative thermal technology. Vice President Ben Dobbs 

11. Noovoleum: A green-tech company using IoT-based collection boxes to create a traceable and incentivized system for recycling used cooking oil into biofuel. CEO Sendy Soeriaatmadja

12. Myneuver Brand Strategies: Strategic branding and communications agency specializing in luxury branding, digital marketing, and VIP events to drive sustainable growth for diverse industries. Founder Danti Yuliandari

The first keynote speech was by Indonesia Hotel General Managers Association (IHGMA): A professional association representing hotel general managers to advance the hospitality industry and promote sustainable tourism. This was presented by Bali President Dr Yoga Iswara. The second keynote was by Dr Samsi Gunarta, former head of the Bali Transportation Department, who kept the participants fascinated by by presentation on the Bali Transportation Masterplan.

Many of the presenting companies also had small exhibition stands  in the Foyer area where participants could engage in direct discussion with the experts and get to know their products and services even better.

“Our hope is that we will see a whole new batch of hotels and tourism related companies starting their process of certification and rising to meet the standards set by sustainability champions like Singapore who have made being GSTC Certified compulsory, to guarantee these standards to all visitors to the highly competitive island. If we don’t start now” says Alistair, “we will be left behind and increasingly lose our appeal. So let’s get this program going! “

For more information please go to www.mvbindonesia.com or contact aghie@phoenix.co.id