Sustainable Tourism: A Growing Trend at FITUR 2014

Sustainability and respect for the environment are amongst the main trends that will be presented by exhibitors at FITUR 2014. Tourism has become an important business within the realm of international trade, based on a turnover that is as high as or even surpasses that of the oil industry, foodstuffs or the car industry. In this respect, it is an activity that must be made compatible with nature and society.

Today we can witness a growing demand for trips, hotels and means of transport that take environmental factors into account, with an increasing number of travellers refusing to entrust their trips to brands and companies that are unable to provide any guarantees in this respect. These individuals are known as eco-intelligent consumers.

The Spanish Ministry for Industry, Energy and Tourism has highlighted the fact that the sustainability of environmental tourism must be conceived as a horizontal tool that can be applied to all tourist destinations and resources.

The measures that have been carried out by public administration bodies and the tourist industry have placed the emphasis on energy efficiency under the heading of tourism resources. The message of energy saving through energy efficiency is one that is becoming increasingly prevalent within the industry, with an increasing number of private investments being made in this respect.

Among the hotel chains that will be attending FITUR 2014 in order to present their latest achievements regarding eco-friendly measures, we might mention the BlueBay Group, which raises awareness of good environmental practices amongst its guests, suppliers and employees. The Group effectively promotes an energy- and water-saving culture and has been awarded EarthCheck Certification, a form of worldwide recognition for its environmental approach.

Within the transport industry, environmental protection is one of the corporate priorities of companies such as Iberia, as witnessed at the trade fair. This company, in addition to maintaining a balance regarding the development of its different activities and their impact on the environment, also carries out different initiatives, such as its Air Quality Research Project (IAGOS) and the use of alternative fuels for its aircraft.

Jiménez Dorado Autocares is another of the exhibitors at the trade fair that is strongly committed to preserving the environment. The company has effectively introduced measures and policies designed to achieve this goal whilst carrying out its passenger transport activities.

These initiatives include the following: the purchase of more efficient vehicles; the adoption of pollution prevention and avoidance programs for its activities; and the rational use of natural resources and appropriate management of any waste, sewerage or atmospheric emissions generated.

Car-hire companies also play an important role regarding the protection of the environment. Avis Spain, another of the exhibitors at the trade fair, has introduced a Quality and Environment Management System based on the ISO 9001:2008:14001 and ISO:14001:2004 standards for services relating to the rental of chauffeur-free cars and the sale of semi-new cars to private individuals.

Many of the countries that will be taking part as exhibitors at FITUR 2014 are also fully conscious of the need to protect the environment. Costa Rica, for example, has introduced a Tourism Sustainability Certificate (CST), a scheme run by the Tourism Institute of Costa Rica (ICT) that has been designed to categorize and differentiate tourist companies according to the degree to which their operations comply with a certain sustainability model, based on their management of natural, cultural and social resources.

Being well aware of the importance of the environment, the Spanish Hotel Technology Institute (ITH) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in conjunction with FITUR, have organized the fifth staging of FITUR GREEN, which encompasses a series of conferences on hotel energy management, together with an exhibition area devoted to suppliers of these technologies.

These conferences will highlight the need for the hotel industry to implement measures designed to optimize energy and water management at their facilities, based on energy efficiency criteria that are more favorable to the environment.