Sustainable Hotels in the Mountains

Looking for sustainable hotels in the mountains is becoming a habit for many people. Being able to combine a holiday with a gesture of sustainability is a very important change in the way tourism is perceived, demonstrating a growing awareness.

Sustainable hotels, main characteristics

But what is a sustainable hotel? To understand this, we need to take a step back and consider that tourism can have a strong negative impact on the environment, starting with the means of transportation chosen to reach the destination. The worst in terms of environmental impact is certainly the airplane. But once you reach your destination, there are many things that can be done for the environment, including the choice of hotel.

There are many actions that a hotel can take to be sustainable, and these hotels usually describe these choices on their website to ensure that customers are aware of them. The first aspect to check to understand if a hotel is sustainable is its environmental policies. These policies involve reducing waste, recycling, using eco-friendly products, and saving energy. This is a very important factor, and it is good to check if the hotel has adopted measures to improve energy efficiency. An example is the use of solar panels, as well as the adoption of efficient heating and cooling systems and low-energy LED lights. To be considered sustainable, a hotel must have responsible water management policies, such as wastewater recycling and the installation of low water consumption devices. Almost all mountain hotels have a restaurant: the sourcing of food is also essential in terms of sustainability. Sustainable establishments commit to serving local, organic products and reducing food waste. Finally, sustainable mountain hotels (and not only) offer local transportation solutions through the rental (sometimes free) of bicycles or electric vehicles, or they support local transportation.

Certifications for sustainable hotels

To navigate the choice of sustainable hotels in the mountains, green certifications are a very useful tool. Here are the main ones:

Legambiente turismo: established by Legambiente in 1997. To adhere to it, it is necessary to meet various requirements regarding waste production and management, energy resource management, water resource management, food and gastronomy, sustainable mobility, accessibility, eco-sustainable purchasing, enhancement of cultural and environmental assets, noise, communication and environmental education.

Green Globe: established 30 years ago, its standards for sustainable tourism and social responsibility are recognized worldwide. Companies that obtain this certification become members and contribute a fee that varies according to their size.

Biosphere Responsible Tourism: internationally recognized, it verifies the environmental commitment of various tourist companies and controls their business processes and offers based on their environmental and social sustainability.

European Ecolabel: awarded to hotels, guesthouses, and campsites that are assessed based on their quality and impact on nature and the environment. Launched in 1992, the EU Ecolabel logo has become synonymous with quality in compliance with the highest environmental standards. This means that products (goods and services) displaying the iconic "EU flower" symbol meet all criteria and have earned the right to join the growing EU Ecolabel community.

Travelife: the brand originated in England and offers recognitions at different levels, but the most important one is the Travelife Gold certificate.