Curious how we sustainably see tourism?
We are committed to sustainable tourism: travel without negative environmental impact on our environment. But how exactly do you do that? On this page you can read how we organize sustainable tourism, what it involves and what you can do yourself to discover the world as green as possible!
What exactly is sustainability?
At its core, sustainability is about living in a way that meets the necessities of life for the current generation, without compromising those of future generations. So while sustainability is also about social and societal issues, we often talk about the climate when we talk about more sustainable living and sustainable tourism. If we zoom in even further, it concerns the reduction of CO2 emissions, the reduction of the amount of waste we produce and the exhaustion of scarce raw materials.
Are you looking for a new way to rent out your accommodation to a target group that is concerned with sustainability and is interested in local tourism?
Our guidelines for sustainable tourism
To make sure we give you the best options for sustainable travel can offer, we look at various aspects that determine the environmental impact of a trip.
Renewable energysources
Sustainable accommodations are characterized by the presence of renewable energy sources. These include wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels. These contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the use of regular fossil fuels.
The accommodations that you find at Sustainaway get their energy from solar panels, wind turbines or geothermal heat, for example. To lend a helping hand to the energy transition, many accommodations even have an electric charging station on site or nearby that allows you to easily provide your electric car with green energy again!
Minimize energy consumption
There are many options for energy efficient living. This often starts with taking small steps, such as insulating the house and using triple glazing in the windows. In addition, there are also larger steps to be taken, which involve a greater impact. For example, energy consumption can be reduced enormously with a (hybrid) heat pump or underfloor heating.
For example, we encourage the accommodations on our platform not only to use green energy, but also to look at minimizing energy consumption. For example, various accommodations have opted for underfloor heating and triple glazing.
Recycling and reuse of materials
When making buildings more sustainable, principles from the circular economy are often used. One of the most important rules of the circular economy is the reuse of materials, so that they are not thrown away as waste but are used as raw materials for something else.
Many sustainable accommodations that you will find with us therefore give used materials a new life. For example, they have made furniture from old wood. Devices are not simply thrown away, but parts are replaced or repaired.
Minimize water consumption
The use of water is also an important aspect of sustainable tourism. One of the ways in which many sustainable accommodations use water in a smart way is through the use of a rainwater collection system. This allows the collected water to be used to water plants. Sometimes it is even filtered so that the water can be used for the toilet or washing machine.
This saves precious drinking water and also reduces the pressure on rivers and nature reserves in times of drought.
Plant-based food
Eating and drinking is also an important aspect of sustainable tourism. For example, the environmental impact of animal products is much higher than that of plant products. The production of dairy and meat, for example, is associated with high water consumption. A lot of methane gas is also released in livestock farms. As a greenhouse gas, methane is even about 30 to 70 times more harmful than CO2!
Although the accommodations on our platform do not all serve only plant-based products, they do offer vegetarian or vegan options. This way you can still travel in the way that suits you, but you have the option of choosing a greener option.
Local products & collaborations
Products that come from the region in which the accommodation is located have a smaller environmental impact. This is usually due to two factors: lower CO2 emissions from transport and lower energy consumption in production with raw materials from the region.
Local collaborations are also important for a sustainable society. By involving the local population, we guarantee that knowledge and culture will be passed on to the next generations: that is part of sustainable tourism.
When you book a Sustainaway trip, you can expect a breakfast with local products, for example, or a cup of coffee at the cozy cafe around the corner. By choosing local alternatives, we focus again on the people behind the product, and every aspect of your journey has a personal element.
Green transport
Making transport and transport more sustainable is one of the most important issues within sustainable tourism. While the transition to electric vehicles is accelerating, it is far from complete. That is why we want to encourage the use of public transport, bicycles and electric cars or campers.
When you book a trip with Sustainaway, transport will not always be included. That is why we compensate the CO2 emissions, so that your trip is CO2 neutral or negative. We naturally try to encourage you to emit as little as possible if you choose your own mode of transport.
Would you also like to start with sustainable travel?
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