Ecohotel Albergo Ecologico

EcoHotel “Alberghi & C. Raccomandati per l’Impegno in Difesa dell’Ambiente” (recomended hotels & C. for environmental protection)

Website:

www.legambienteturismo.it/ecoalberghi/index.html

Relevance:

Voluntary label at local level

Target:

• environmental target: environmental areas such as waste, energy, water consumption, noise, food quality, etc.
• product group: tourist accommodation managers

Product/service group:

Label for tourist accommodation focused on environmental areas such as waste, energy, water consumption, noise, food quality, etc.

Awarding Institution & criteria:

Awarding institutions are the local Hotels Association, the Municipality and the local Legambiente. More in general the label initiative forecasts a co-operation of an environmental Association such as Legambiente, an Association of the tourism operators (hotels, campings, B&B, etc.) and often a local Public Authority and the adoption of a General Decalogue decided by the involved environmental Association.

Each year the local Association of the tourism operators defines together with the environmental Association the objectives to be fulfilled for the reduction of the environmental impact, which are to be approved and monitored by the awarding bodies. The criteria are getting stricter every year.

As general principle all the holiday resorts commit themselves to consider the respect for the environment; fulfil significant actions, beyond the legislative minimum requirements but technically and economically feasible towards environmental targets; show off the local products and specificity. Main targets are: waste reduction and recycling, energy and water savings, noise and traffic decrease, show off the local products, promotion of the environment and monuments.

Each applicant commit itself to reduce the water consumption through the application of specific devices, to use high efficiency light sources and recycled paper, to prefer low pollution collective/individual means of transportation (bicycles, electric scooters), use of biologic and local food several times during the week.

Eco-hotels are recognisable by an external nameplate with the “Legambiente “ logo, the container for exhausted batteries and the note in the bathrooms inviting guests to reduce the daily towels change.

Control mechanisms:

Tourists accommodations participate to training courses managed by Legambiente, which is also responsible for the control of the criteria fulfilment and the monitoring of the results.

Charges:

Not available

Relevance on the market:

The project was born in 1997 in the town of Riccione. In 1998 it started with the participation of 30 Hotels. The success of the initiative led to its diffusion to other resorts on the Adriatic Coast and on the Appennini . The initiative has been also extended outside Italy (Slovenia and Croatia). Involved tourist resorts are:

• Seaside resorts: Riccione, Bellaria Igea Marina, Cervia Milano Marittima, Riviera del Conero, Ravenna and Lidi, Cesenatico, Delta del Po, Rimini, lidos of Riccione, Isola d'Elba and Cilento.
• Mountain resorts: Appennino Bolognese (Park of Gessi, Corno alle Scale and Park of Abbazia di Monteveglio)
• Thermal resorts: Cervia, Riccione, Punta Marina.
• Towns: Ferrara