In terms of sustainability, the hotel industry faced a significant challenge, particularly in the areas of energy and water consumption. Hotels often consume large amounts of energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and operating facilities like swimming pools and spas. This leads to substantial greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change.
One personally significant ethical concern that also affected our hotel group was waste management. It was painful to observe how much waste a hotel generates, from packaging to food. No matter how well-designed it is, a buffet will always result in a certain amount of food waste.
The Planet handbook (by the way, my personal favorite) provides easily-understandable yet practical steps to save energy and water in general. The handbook encouraged me to seek technological support in South Tyrol, so I reached out to myGekko, a company from Bruneck that optimizes energy consumption using AI and other technologies.
The handbook also helped me shape communication with our guests to motivate them to minimise their personal ecological footprint. Saving a towel when washing or understanding that the sauna starts two hours later can have a significant impact when thousands of guests visit every month.
The "Waste Action Plan" in the handbook helped me adapt our culinary offerings to minimise overall waste (food, packaging, plastics). We eliminated the bi-weekly evening buffets in the hotels, and the breakfast buffet now only includes products that can be cleverly reused. All hot dishes are now prepared à la minute. Although we are not completely "zero waste" yet, as some adjustments are still needed in South Tyrol, we are definitely on the right path.
In conclusion, I must honestly say that we do not yet have the means to measure our ecological footprint or exact savings accurately. However, when it comes to electricity and water, simply looking at the bills shows an average savings of about 12% compared to the previous year. The almost daily trips to the recycling center have now been reduced to just two times per week. Overall, some noticeable changes have already occurred with open eyes. But most importantly, since the introduction of The Sustainable Hotel Handbook, I am proud of the willingness of our staff and guests to drive sustainability forward and to realise that each individual can make a difference.
ke time for prosecco 