Eco-friendly travellers can now find green hotel options which much greater ease thanks to a new TUI initiative.
The UK’s largest tour operator has announced the ‘Green & Fair’ label, which will highlight hotels that have been certified as sustainable by an independent organisation.
This means the hotel meets a standard of sustainability credentials, known as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria.
The GSTC focuses on sustainable management; environmental protection; social and economic support of the local community and recognising and promoting cultural heritage.
Do you consider the environment when booking a hotel? Comment below
Hotels win points for using environmentally sustainable suppliers, making efforts to lower energy consumption, and favouring reusable, returnable and recycled goods.
TUI currently has more than 650 hotels now on sale that have been badged with the Green & Fair kitemark on its website and are spread across some of the globe’s must-see cities and beach spots.
Las Vegas, Cancun, Cyprus, and Majorca are just a few of the destinations that customers can choose from.
Some of the hotels on the list include the Occidental Sousse Marhaba in Tunisia, TUI Blue Madeira Gardens in Portugal and Hotel Riu Plaza in Berlin.
Hotel and resort choice can be important when trying to make eco-friendly holiday choices, according to Green Choices.
"Water, power and other essentials are often diverted away from local needs to supply exclusive tourist resorts and golf courses, while high levels of waste and pollution from luxury hotels threatens local ecosystems," the organisation states.
"Communities can even find themselves wholly uprooted make way for tourism developments, most notoriously under the guise of post-tsunami reconstruction, when villages were moved supposedly on grounds of safety, but found their beachfront land handed over to hotel companies."
Richard Sofer, commercial director at TUI UK&I, said: “We’re proud to be launching our Green & Fair Hotels label, making it easier for customers to recognise which hotels offer a more sustainable option.
"Research shows that consumers want brands to offer more eco-friendly options, but they want this to be as straightforward as possible, so we want our customers to know that we are taking care of it behind the scenes.
"What’s more, we’re donating into the TUI Care Foundation every time a customer chooses a holiday in a Green & Fair hotel to show our commitment as a responsible holiday operator.
He continued: “By staying in a Green & Fair hotel, your holiday choice goes a few steps further to help our planet and worldwide communities.
"Whether you’re travelling as a couple or fancy a more planet-friendly family getaway, our Green & Fair hotels cater to all group sizes in a huge variety of destinations, meaning there is something for every type of traveller and for all budgets.”
