Sustainable tourism is a trend. More and more tourists are looking for environmentally friendly hotels. This new traveler profile is aware that tourism produces very high levels of pollution. Tourism is directly responsible for 5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership study. In fact, many hotels are transforming themselves to be in tune with this trend and to respect the Paris Agreement issued by the European Commission, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per room by 90% by 2050.
Reduce the percentage of these emissions emitted by hotel companies due to their high energy consumption in air conditioning and/or heating as well as water and sewage. their high consumption of energy in air conditioning and/or heating as well as water in rooms and restaurants, among and restaurants, among many others, is the challenge that many hotels are proposing in this year's strategic plans. hotels are proposing in this year's strategic plans.
Sustainable hotels are the future future of the tourism sector.
But what exactly what exactly do we mean by ecofriendly hotels? How do they differ from others? Like any other hotel, sustainable hotels seek economic profitability and profit, but with the least possible impact on the surrounding environment. impact on the surrounding environment. These hotels of the future are aware that they are responsible for taking care of the environment and are taking achievable and realistic measures to achieve this. realistic and achievable measures to achieve this.
Here we tell you how to be a 100% sustainable hotel with some very useful measures that you can implement in your hotel company and that will make a big difference. Our advice? That you are able to meet all the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) recognition standards and communicate it clearly in all your communication channels: website, social networks, online booking pages, etc. Take a step towards the green future of the tourism sector and join the sustainable tourism revolution.
1. Eliminate disposable plastics.
The seas and oceans are crying out for help. More than 70% of the trash in the water in the water comes from single-use products such as cups, straws, beverage bottles... Although the European Commission has already approved new regulations by 2021 that will require the use of disposable products in the water, Although the European Commission has already approved a new regulation by 2021 that will ban single-use plastics, we can start to eliminate single-use plastics. banning single-use plastics, we can start to eliminate them in our hotel: dispense with single-use our hotel: dispense with plastic straws and drink stirrers at the buffet, replace the gel and shampoo amenities with refillable dispensers and refillable dispensers and replace plastic toothbrushes with toothbrushes made of 100% biodegradable wood. made of 100% biodegradable wood.
2. Reduce water consumption in all hotel rooms. hotel.
Water is a vital resource for everyone, so let's be responsible and avoid waste. Did you know that a guest can waste between 7 and 11 liters of water if he/she leaves the faucet running while brushing his/her teeth? 7 to 11 liters of water if the faucet is left running while brushing teeth? It is possible to optimize water consumption by installing water savers in the showers and bathroom faucets. and taps in the bathroom and also by ensuring that all your toilets have a dual flush and no faucets are a dual flush and no faucet is leaking water.
In addition to reducing the amount of water used in rooms, it is necessary to the amount of liters of water needed to irrigate the hotel's plants. of the hotel. Opt for plants that need little water or that are able to adapt to the climate where your adapt to the climate where your accommodation is located.
3. Sustainable and Km0 food.
It is possible to be sustainable in your food court. The choice of products you serve to your guests to your guests will say a lot about your level of environmental awareness. Choosing Km0 or proximity products means that the distance between the production site and the place of place of production and its place of origin, your hotel, is less than 100 km away. distance. In other words, these are local products that help to keep the economy of the area active and reduce the economy of the area and reduce polluting emissions by requiring minimal transport. minimal transportation.
Another another way to be a 100% sustainable hotel is to eliminate food waste. food waste. Make your guests aware that having a free buffet is not buffet is not synonymous with leaving food on the plate. To avoid food food waste you can analyze the consumption of all your products to adapt the production to those adapt the production to these needs, do not replenish the buffet in the last 20 minutes before closing or the last 20 minutes before closing time, or place those foods that we need to be consumed food that needs to be consumed more quickly at the beginning of the run.
4. Control energy expenditure.
According to data from the Instituto Hotel Technological Institute (ITH), Spanish hotels spend more than 1,230 million euros a year on energy, which is why 1,230 million a year on energy, soenergy efficiency measures are energy efficiency measures is absolutely necessary. Use LED bulbs to reduce energy consumption by up to 50% per light point, install key-card opening systems in the rooms so that all lights are switched off when leaving the all lights are disconnected and bet on motion sensors for the corridors of the rooms. for the corridors of the rooms.
Solar panels can also be a very be a very useful resource to take advantage of natural light since its energy can be used for the heating systems of the pool and jacuzzi area. be used for the heating systems of the pool and jacuzzi area.
5. Use sustainable sustainable bedding.
The garbage that reaches the sea is capable of affecting around 600 marine species. Many animals ingest or become entangled in the plastics we discard in the seas and oceans. we discard in the seas and oceans. Hence, dressing hotel beds with textiles made from bottles textiles made from plastic bottles recovered from from plastic bottles recovered from the seas is one way to become a 100% sustainable hotel. 100% sustainable.
The Ocean line of Vayoil Textil, is committed to respecting the environment and takes care of all the processes that are carried out in the processes that are carried out in the manufacture of textiles to result in a recycled bed linen with bed linen with the highest quality.
Joining sustainable tourism is a step we must take if we want to have a fruitful future in this sector. It is It is time to look for solutions and strategies that will help us to face the environmental environmental challenges we face today. The Planet needs us. shall we help?
