CTO Assessment - European Commission

BIOSPHERE HOTELS
Renewable Energies to build
Sustainable Tourism
Contact: Tomas Azcárate • Institute of Responsible Tourism • Plaza Sixto Machado, 3
38009 Santa Cruz de Tenerife • Spain • Tel: +34 902 117725 • Fax : +34 922 568913
Email : itr@biospherehotels.org • Web site: www.biospherehotels.org
The Responsible Tourism System is an independent
system of certification, which
publicly recognises the environmental quality
of the management, technological innovation
and services on offer in tourist establishments.
The RTS meets a need for external and
visible recognition to distinguish the efforts
made by member establishments. This recognition
is given by an independent agency,
the Institute of Responsible Tourism
(IRT), that certifies and guarantees an
establishment’s commitment to responsible
tourism practises, with the RES like
the best tool for continual improvement.
The Institute of Responsible Tourism
(IRT) was created after the World Conference
on Sustainable Tourism (1995).
It is an independent agency that has been
set up to implement Sustainable Development
actions and programmes in the field
of the tourist industry, in line with the recommendations
contained in Agenda 21 of
the Rio Conference, the Sustainable Tourism
Charter and the guidelines that have
emerged from different UNESCO programmes
related to sustainable development
and the protection of the world’s cultural
and natural heritage.
RES objectives
The objective “Toward 100% RES” has
been implemented by the Institute of Responsible
Tourism by means of the RTS in
accordance with a voluntary Programme
of Energy Efficiency Policy (compulsory
for each hotel) that should include not only
measures related with rational use of energy,
but also those regarding the Plan of
RES implementation of each hotel (including
also the incorporation of solutions like
the green certificates).
Enabling factors
Through the Biosphere Hotels certification
system it has been possible to create a
favourable environment for the use of renewable
energies in hotels.
The case of Lanzarote is a model to follow.
Since 1998, when the RTS started to be
introduced and the first BIOSPHERE
HOTELS were certificated, the total area
of solar panels installed is now a significant
reality. In 2003 10,000 m 2 of solar
panels are working in Lanzarote (in the
framework “A new sun project” with
ICAEN and ASOLAN). The number of establishments
that joined this solar thermal
initiative is encouraging enough. The
objective for 2004 is to achieve 20,000
m2 of solar panels installed in hotel establishments
that joined the RTS.
Replication Potential
Between 1998 and 2003 more than 50
hotels of island regions have been incorporated
in the system. The target is to reach
100 accreditations in 2004.
In order to facilitate the transfer of experiences
and the dissemination of a sustainable
tourism culture, the IRT carries out
and promotes a whole series of complementary
activities and accompanying measures.
The IRT systematically promotes international
seminars, workshops and meetings
with a view to disseminating successful initiatives
in the area of Sustainable Tourism
and especially the experiences that emerge
from within the International Network of
Biosphere Hotels.
A promotion example
The IRT, in cooperation with the ICAEN,
which is the coordinator of this initiative,
and INSULA, launched a sensitisation
campaign aimed to promote renewable
energies in the tourist sector on islands
that have been declared “Biosphere Reserves”
by the UNESCO.
The campaign is centred on the islands of
Minorca, Lanzarote, El Hierro, Galapagos
and Guadeloupe, and relies on the support
of local governments and associations. In
these emblematic island territories, commitment
for a tourism sustainable development
started to forge important projects
in the fields of energy, water and waste
management.
This initiative involves a commitment with
islands’ tourist associations and technology
providers in favour of the promotion
of a maximum use of renewables in the
sector. Their status of Biosphere Reserve
give them an outstanding capacity of experience
dissemination through the International
Biosphere Reserve Network.
The main actions planned in the Solar
Marketing Campaign are based on tourist
sensitisation, with the support of the local
tourist associations, including:
Self-supported posters placed in smallisland’s
airports and in the most visited
places in order to attract the attention
of visitors, with few text and concepts
such as sustainability, RES and RUE
technologies, eco-labels, etc.
Display for containing brochures to be
placed in Hotels, city halls, tourism offices,
local associations, etc.
A questionnaire to be distributed to the
tourist could be defined in case a survey is
considered an important aspect of the Campaign.
The Campaign is part of a wider unit of
actions and projects aimed to consolidate,
in the medium term, tourist destinations
which are energetically clean, 100% RES
supplied and environmentally friendly.
In the same way, the IRT is now implementing
this campaign of sustainable tourism
in Cuba, La Palma, Eastern Island
(Chile) and Sea Flowers Archip. (Colombia).
76 CTO - Showcase