Travel never goes out of style, but tourists' attractions vary from year to year, and sustainability has become one of them. has become one of them. In 2017, we began to the trend in the tourism sector for sustainability and all that this entails, a topic that was discussed at the the same year in Tenerife on the occasion of the "International Year of Sustainable International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development". At the same At the same conference, the president of the Responsible Tourism Institute, Tomás de Azcárate, already Azcárate, already affirmed that "sustainability has become a tourist attraction sustainability has become a tourist attraction and, therefore, of greater competitiveness. competitiveness".
There are also studies that provide us with studies that provide us with surprising figures, such as the one conducted by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Instituto Tecnológico Council and the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH), which stated that 90% of travelers seek and choose sustainable hotels for their trips, and 34% are travelers look for and choose sustainable hotels for their trips, and 34% are willing to pay a higher 34% are willing to pay a higher amount to stay in establishments (hotels and rural houses) that meet (hotels and rural houses) that meet a minimum of sustainability criteria. sustainability.
This demand from guests has been met by the hotel sector, which has been sector by implementing programs of all kinds (socio-cultural, environmental and economic) aimed at protecting and defending the environment, (sociocultural, environmental and economic), designed to protect and defend the local and the local culture and economy of the area, as well as being careful with the environment. environment.
Examples of sustainability as a tourist attraction sustainability as a tourist attraction
One of the best examples of sustainability of the sector in Spain is the case of "Avenida Sofía Hotel and Spa". Spa". A hotel located in Sitges (Barcelona), just 35 kilometers from the big city. the big city. The words with which one could summarize a stay in this hotel are: modernity modernity, sustainability and functionality.
It is one of the Spanish hotels in the sustainable hotel sector for carrying out large-scale projects that are directly related to water saving projects directly related to water saving, the search for energy efficiency through solar panels and/or wind turbines, quality energy efficiency through solar panels and/or wind turbines, the quality of the air inside the hotels or the quality of the air inside the hotels or free recharging for electric vehicles. vehicles.
Another more rural example, leaving behind the "boutique boutique hotel style, is the "Casona de Labrada" located in A Pontenova (Lugo). Pontenova (Lugo). This rural complex stands out for its fantastic location and strong commitment to the for its strong commitment to the environment. It is located in the heart of the Biosphere Reserve Rio Eo, Oscos and Tierras de Burón and employs, in the three houses that compose it, geothermal heating that prevents CO2 emissions, energy saving measures and of CO2, energy saving measures and the use of grey and rainwater. rainwater. In addition, as we have already mentioned in the projects of the previous hotel, this rural complex also has a specific place within its facilities for recharging, totally free of charge. facilities for recharging, free of charge, electric vehicles brought by guests. vehicles brought by guests.
What do sustainability-minded tourists expect from a hotel? tourists who are committed to sustainability?
Below is a list of some of the aspects of the aspects that tourists who opt for this type of tourism value positively type of tourism:
- Support for social causes.
- Electric chargers for cars.
- Promotion of local commerce.
- Use of renewable energies.
- Support for biodiversity and habitat conservation. conservation.
- Energy efficiency.
- Waste Recycling and/or Plastics Policy Free.
- Responsible use of water.
All in all, we can see the value value attributed today by guests to the sustainable measures taken by hotels and cottages. sustainable measures taken by hotels and rural houses. And this is a clear way of is a clear way of seeing how the environment has become an issue of relevance in everyday life. of relevance in the daily life of society, becoming a constant search for environmentally friendly of environmentally friendly measures.
However, although guests have a very important important voice in this matter, we should not downplay the importance of the hotel's, as this is a win-win issue. the hotels', as this is a mutually beneficial issue. As Anna Jiménez Anna Jiménez, Director of Marketing and Business Development for HotelsCombined in Spain and Portugal: "With the help of hoteliers, tourists can live hoteliers, tourists can live incredible experiences during their vacations, appreciating the natural spaces and appreciate natural spaces and cultures, while preserving and minimizing their effect on the while conserving and minimizing their effect on the environment."
Is your company committed to sustainable tourism? Do you know of any other example of commitment to sustainability as a tourist attraction? Tell us about it!
