88% of the Argentine travel community say that traveling sustainably is important to them, and 74% say they want to do so in the next 12 months. According to an investigation by the Booking.com platform, the voyages to come will be marked by the care of the environment. “There is a growing interest in making more responsible and conscious decisions throughout the travel experience,” they detail. Something that makes a lot of sense in a post-pandemic context, with the revaluation of nature that quarantine and confinement caused.
a great endorsement
And what exactly does it mean to travel sustainably? First of all, stay in accommodation that meets certain ecological premises in its construction, environment and operations. In this sense, there are already stamps that provide this distinction, as is the case of the program Greener Hotels, born in 2012 at the request of the Association of Tourism Hotels of the Argentine Republic (AHT). “The premise was to find solutions to the problems of the hotel industry for the next five years. The hotels asked us to work on sustainability, brand image and digital marketing”, they detail.
With training in Spain, this certification was created following the criteria of sustainable tourism of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which proposes a voluntary process on three levels and incorporates IRAM as an entity of local and international renown. Today they have 138 certified hotels throughout the country, with 96 at the Bronze level, 24 at Silver and 17 at Gold.
In order to have the seal, the hotel in question must have different standard requirements, which include points such as a sustainable management system, conservation and improvement of the environment, environmental management and sustainable development of the destination.
“The granting of ecolabel it will be subject to having successfully passed the audit process”, they explain from the program.
Also, since 2021 Booking.com launched the seal Sustainable Travel, an initiative that seeks to recognize the sustainability efforts of accommodation providers, while making it easier for customers to find this type of accommodation. “The practices focus on five key areas: waste, energy and greenhouse gases, water, support for local communities and nature protection,” details the company. In Argentina there are already more than 1,700 properties with the seal.
valuable examples
With Greener Hotels certification, from ushuaia and in the first row to the Beagle Channel, Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa It is a five-star hotel that since its inauguration in 2005 has been concerned with preserving the resources of this very special destination. Its commitment has to do with minimizing the impact on the environment, betting on continuous improvement, compliance with applicable environmental regulations and assuming the principles of the World Charter for Sustainable tourism.
In this line, they have done waste collection on the coast, talks about Fuegian flora and fauna and about the care of the ozone layer, and they also apply LED lighting and low consumption, optimization of air conditioning with double windows and energy reduction. electricity through switches with magnetic cards.
Also in the South, Blanca Patagonia Hostería Boutique y Cabañas is part of the Booking program thanks to measures such as the no use of plastics single use, LED lighting, double glass windows, bicycle parking, the offering of tours organized by local guides and the provision of information on ecosystems, heritage and local culture.
Meanwhile, in Misiones, Puerto Iguazú was selected among the 10 destinations in the world with the highest proportion of accommodations with the Booking.com Sustainable Travel seal. Here the Loi Suites Iguazu Hotel is one of the most responsible.
“We are convinced that the development and growth of our company is inextricably linked to the well-being and sustainable development of the community of Puerto Iguazú and the conservation of the ecosystem of the Atlantic forest,” they point out. At the Silver level of Greenest Hotels, they recycledo not use single-use plastics, offer low-impact tours and activities organized by local guides, and prioritize contact with nature and the environment, among other practices.
Finally, sustainability can also be thought of from the very architecture of hotels. It is the case of Entre Pinos Eco Box Apart, which opened its doors in 2016 in Punta del Este. It offers high-end modular structures designed with sustainability criteria that produce a significantly lower environmental impact than conventional construction.
They base their criteria on five axes: energy (containers have thermal insulation, grade A efficiency equipment, LED lighting, solar panels and green roofs), water (they collect rainwater, have differential discharge tanks and sewage treatment ), air (they offer lighting and natural ventilation and tightness with high levels of comfort), a construction with recycled shipping containers of long durability and the use of recycled materials of high resistance and minimum maintenance inside. “Furthermore, the units are installed reducing the impact on the ground and respecting the existing vegetation and incorporating new ones”, summarize its creators.
To give an idea of its level of detail, a button is enough: they send to recycle the cigarette butts that the guests smoke outside the premises (because inside it is a smoke-free place).
Image gallery
