New Report: Hilton Advances Travel with Purpose, Showcasing Impact for People, Hotels and Communities in 2025

 Katherine Lugar, EVP, Corporate Affairs, and president, Hilton Global Foundation. “From investing in our award-winning culture to advancing more sustainable stays and supporting communities around the world, this work reflects how purpose is embedded in how we compete, grow, and lead.”

Hilton today announced continued progress on its Travel with Purpose strategy and progress from the Hilton Global Foundation, with its 2025 report highlighting strong momentum toward its 2030 goals. The results showcase how purpose-led operations, thoughtful energy efficiency efforts, and community impact initiatives are expanding opportunities for Hilton team members, delivering more sustainable stays for guests, and supporting resilient communities across the 144 countries and territories where Hilton operates.

Hilton’s 2025 Travel with Purpose report highlights measurable progress toward the hospitality leader’s 2030 goals, including significant reductions in carbon emissions, water use, and waste generation across managed and franchised hotels worldwide.

• Hilton has delivered significant environmental progress, achieving a 50.9% reduction in carbon emissions intensity at managed hotels, a 36.0% reduction at franchised hotels, a 37.1% reduction in water intensity, and a 64.7% reduction in landfill waste intensity – surpassing its 2030 waste goal ahead of schedule.

• Hilton continues to expand positive community impact globally, meaningfully reaching 2.5 million people, contributing 1.8 million volunteer hours, and distributing millions of meals while strengthening local resilience through partnerships and the Hilton Global Foundation.

• Travel with Purpose is embedded in Hilton’s business model, with investments in energy efficiency, responsible sourcing, community resilience, and industry-leading social impact initiatives shaping the future of hospitality.

What is Travel with Purpose?

Travel with Purpose is Hilton’s global strategy to create positive impact and long-term value for its people, hotels, and communities.

Through Our People, Hilton is creating opportunities by investing in programs that support career growth and long-term development.

Through Our Hotels, the company is delivering more sustainable stays by improving energy efficiency, reducing water use and waste, protecting biodiversity, and sourcing responsibly.

Through Our Communities, Hilton is strengthening local economies and resilience by partnering with organizations, supporting small businesses, and promoting responsible travel.

Together, these pillars make Travel with Purpose a fully integrated strategy that supports better guest experiences while strengthening Hilton’s business.

“Through Travel with Purpose, we’re making meaningful, measurable progress across our people, our hotels, and our communities – strengthening the experiences we deliver to guests while driving long-term value for our business,” said Katherine Lugar, EVP, Corporate Affairs, and president, Hilton Global Foundation. “From investing in our award-winning culture to advancing more sustainable stays and supporting communities around the world, this work reflects how purpose is embedded in how we compete, grow, and lead.”

Hilton’s Progress Towards its 2030 Goals

Hilton continues to make measurable progress against its climate goals (2008 baseline):

• 50.9% reduction in carbon emissions intensity (managed hotels) 

• 36.0% reduction in emissions intensity (franchised hotels) 

• 37.1% reduction in water intensity (managed operations)

• 64.7% reduction in landfill waste intensity (managed operations), exceeding its 2030 goal ahead of schedule 

• Ongoing alignment with science-based targets and global ISO standards

At the same time, Hilton is expanding its social impact, reaffirming its commitment to its team members and communities: 

• 686,000+ learning and career opportunities created in 2025 

• More than 2.5 million community members impacted 

• More than 1.8 million volunteer hours logged globally

Creating Opportunity for Our People

Hilton’s people-first culture is grounded in a clear belief: happy teams create happy guests. By investing in team members, Hilton continues to show that being the best place to work helps make it the best place to stay.

Hilton Cares

Through programs like Hilton Cares, the company is expanding access to education and career growth. The program helps remove barriers by providing scholarships and resources to team members and community members, opening doors to new opportunities. By investing in learning and development, Hilton is building a stronger talent pipeline for the future of hospitality.

“I was inspired to apply for the Hilton Cares Scholarship because Hilton truly commits to its people,” said Shanice Atkins, commis chef, Barbados Hilton Resort. “The scholarship felt like a meaningful way to keep growing my education while staying connected to a company that values lifelong learning and personal growth.”

Our Hotels: Sustainable Stays in Action

Hilton is embedding sustainability into hotel operations – reducing emissions, water use, and waste while maintaining a high-quality guest experience.

Sustainable Hotel Design

At Hilton Garden Inn Brussels Airport, opened in 2025, sustainability is built into the design, with geothermal energy, 600+ solar panels, and 100% renewable electricity. The property has earned BREEAM Excellent, WELL Gold, and DGNB Gold certifications – the only hotel in Belgium with all three.

This year, Hilton also launched its inaugural Travel with Purpose Awards to recognize 40 hotel teams delivering measurable environmental and community impact to their guests and communities.

Strengthening Communities

Through the Hilton Global Foundation, Hilton is scaling its community impact worldwide. Since 2019, the Foundation has awarded $22M+ in grants to support opportunity, resilience, and sustainable travel destinations.

In 2025 alone:

• 2.3M+ meals distributed 

• 2.4M+ pounds of food donated 

• 2.1M+ pounds of waste diverted 

• 995K+ community members impacted 

Wildfire Response

During the Los Angeles wildfires, Hilton provided 20,000 complimentary hotel nights, supporting more than 7,000 people and mobilizing teams across 80 hotels to assist affected communities.

Supporting a More Responsible Hospitality Industry

Hilton continues to take a leadership role across the industry, including efforts to combat human trafficking. In 2025, the hospitality company worked with industry peers and Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) to launch an updated, survivor-informed training – made available free across the industry to strengthen prevention efforts.

Looking Ahead

Travel with Purpose remains central to Hilton’s growth strategy. By investing in people, advancing sustainable operations, and supporting communities, Hilton is making steady progress toward its 2030 goals while continuing to deliver value for guests, owners, and stakeholders..... Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here

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