Being eco-friendly does begin with taking steps to reduce our impact on the environment, whether you look at it as trying to reduce CO2 footprint or protecting the eco-system surrounding your holiday accommodation.
Apart from the environmental side of things, one of the key points is Sustainable Tourism is “nurturing understanding”, which involves educating guests about local areas, culture, customs, gastronomy, produce, celebrations, religion and everything else that contributes to an authentic experience.
In this spirit, let me share with you 3 easy-to-implement ideas for an eco-friendly holiday rental
Make Recycling Easy
This may be a no-brainer for those accustomed to separating and recycling, but be aware that each country has a slightly different “system” and your guests are not automatically going to know which bin to use for what, or even where to leave their rubbish at the end of their stay. So make sure you have this information clearly available for your guests.
Save Water
Water is a scarce commodity especially on certain Mediterranean islands like Malta. A very quick and easy to way to reduce water use is to fit aerators to your taps. Aerators mix bubbles in with the water and can reduce the flow considerably – they are inexpensive and easy to fit and only need cleaning out every few months.
Buy Local
It is worth reminding that travel can have an important financial impact to an area if people buy local, ensuring money goes directly to the local population rather than the big international retailers. This goes not only for what you put in your welcome baskets, but also for the suppliers you choose to do business with. Leave information on where to buy local such as farmers’ markets and perhaps a simple guide to local products such as wine and olive oil.