WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OPERATION?

The term green in business originally related to environmental issues, but it has now evolved to embrace all aspects of sustainability and corporate responsibility.

To be properly green, a company now needs to incorporate sustainable thinking in its decision-making at all levels throughout the organisation.

Shareholders, investors, employees, customers, environmental and ethical groups - and the general public - expect tourism companies to be exemplary across the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental management. But how can companies do this?

IBLF, through its International Tourism Partnership programme, has developed a unique tool which provides a list of practical steps that should be taken to create a successful, sustainable tourism operation.

The following is a summary of Going Green - Minimum standards towards a sustainable hotel:

Policy and framework - You will need commitment from everyone, from the top down.

Staff training & awareness - Success will depend on the buy-in and continued motivation of your staff.

Environmental Management - Aim for the highest environmental standards in terms of biodiversity protection, hygiene, safety, indoor air quality and overall environmental management.

Purchasing - Work with your suppliers over time to green your supply chain.

People & communities - Look at the world outside your hotel and how you can take a more responsible, leadership role.

Destination protection - Maintain a sense of place that supports the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, heritage, aesthetics, and the well-being of its citizens.

What does this mean in practice?

Case study from the latest issue of greenhotelier magazine: Hilton Prague uses Vltava River to cool chilled water system

In 2005 Hilton Prague embarked on a project to increase the cooling capacity of its air conditioning plant and in the process reduce the electrical energy required to run the system.

The existing chillers - which used cooling towers to produce a total cooling capacity of 1,950 kW - were replaced by new chillers, which were cooled via the Vltava River to achieve a total cooling capacity of 2,760 kW. In addition, the cooling water pipe circuits were modified so that the heat exchangers providing cooling to the chillers would provide direct cooling to the hotel in spring and autumn.

This system eliminated the need to run the chillers during mid-season. The main advantages of the new system include:

• The original cooling towers were no longer required, eliminating the risk of Legionella and the noise generated by the tower fans. Water consumption was also reduced as there was no longer water evaporation from the towers, especially during the warm summer months.
  
• The relatively cold water from the Vltava River efficiently removes waste heat from the chiller condensers. The chillers work at a much higher coefficient of performance, absorbing less electrical energy in the process.
  
• In spring and autumn the river water is used to cool the chilled water circuits of the hotel’s air conditioning system, providing free cooling - so the need to run the chillers is completely eliminated.