Regional products and authentic vacation experiences in sustainable accommodation

Webinar on sustainable accommodation

As part of their joint project for more "climate protection at the counter", Futouris travel agencies are committed to raising the awareness and knowledge of travel agents on the topics of climate protection and sustainability. In cooperation with the climate protection organization atmosfair and the travel agency coaches René Morawetz and Saskia Sánchez, an interactive webinar series on various topics such as climate-friendly travel, CO2 compensation, sustainable accommodation or climate protection in the travel agency was designed for this purpose.

Last week, our moderators Saskia and René showed the more than 80 participants in the fourth webinar what the special features of sustainably certified accommodation are and how to recognize them.

Futouris online seminar "Sustainable accommodation"

What does sustainable (certified) accommodation mean?

Unlike conventional hotels, accommodation that has committed itself to sustainability principles contributes to environmental and climate protection, the preservation of biodiversity or an improvement in living and working conditions through various measures. Independent sustainability labels identify accommodation that demonstrably complies with certain environmental and / or social standards.

In total, over 15,000 companies (hotels, guesthouses, campsites or destinations) worldwide are certified with one of over 1,000 existing labels. To find your way through this jungle of labels, it is advisable to look out for labels that are recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). GSTC has defined minimum ecological, social and economic criteria that are credible and transparent. The recognized labels include Travelife, Green Globe or Green Key as well as many national labels. You can find certified accommodation under the following two links:

https://destinet.eu/market-place/green-travel-map

https://greentravelindex.com/

But how can you quickly and easily recognize sustainably certified labels, e.g. during the booking process?

In Amadeus Leisure's Bistro Portal information system, accommodation that has a valid sustainability certificate recognized by GSTC is marked with the STAY FAIR attribute. In addition, travel agents can easily and conveniently filter for these accommodations.

Sustainably certified accommodations are also marked with the STAY FAIR seal in the catalogs of tour operators that work with Fairweg.

Further information at www.fairweg.de.

What are the advantages of sustainable accommodations?

At first glance, guests do not immediately recognize the difference between sustainable and conventional accommodations. Here is a brief overview of what sustainable accommodation specifically does, divided into the three pillars of sustainability:

Ecology

• Regional and seasonal cuisine with options for vegetarians/vegans, often organic products

• Water and energy saving measures as well as waste separation and correct disposal

• Use of reusable products, No single-use products

• Use of environmentally friendly cleaning products

• Support for projects to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species

Social

• Employment of local staff

• Fair pay, vacation entitlement, Sick pay

• Qualification and further training measures for employees

• Preservation of local traditions and protection of indigenous peoples and ethnic groups

• Support for social projects

Economy

• Regional value creation through the purchase of local goods and services

• Qualification measures for business partners to ensure sustainable action

• Operational profitability, geared towards the long term

Benefits for customers:

• Regional enjoyment

• Preservation of local biodiversity

• Authentic vacation experience

• Higher quality through satisfied employees

More detailed information on sustainable accommodation, all the benefits and links for further reading can be found in the handout, which can be used as a practical aid for the counter.

To the factsheet "Sustainable accommodation"

About the project

Everyone is talking about climate protection! The Futouris Reisebüro-AG project focuses on strengthening and consolidating the awareness and knowledge of travel agents on the topics of sustainability and climate protection. By providing better information, the aim is to encourage customers to choose more climate-friendly travel offers and to offset the CO2 emissions caused by their travels through compensation in climate protection projects.

Learn more