Laatste update: 09/06/2026

Sustainable management is not just an administrative checklist, but a way of being. In Travel to Tomorrow’ s vision, you use the management system to strike a balance between the visitor, the resident, the entrepreneur and the place. This system ensures that your lodging makes a positive contribution to the environment.

1. The Foundation: The Sustainability Policy

A documented system is the basis for systematic management and continuous improvement.

Policy Statement (CSR): Formulate a written statement establishing your overall goals and ambitions. This document should be more ambitious than mere compliance with legislation and include the four pillars of sustainability: management, socioeconomic, cultural and environmental.
Travel to Tomorrow link: Frame your policy as “caring for what we love.” Your role as host/placeholder is central to guarding the unique qualities of your place.

2. Roles and Responsibilities.

Even in small lodgings, responsibility must be clear.

Environmental Officer: Appoint a point of contact for all sustainability issues. This person collects data and initiates new projects.
Green Team: In larger organizations, it is recommended to assemble a team with representatives from different departments for broad support.

3. Planning and Continuous Improvement (Action Plan).

Governance is all about an active cycle of planning and execution.

Annual Action Plan: Set concrete annual goals with at least three specific action items for the coming year.
Measurable Goals: Provide quantitative goals (e.g., X% less energy consumption or X% more local purchasing).
Administrative Review: Retain documentation (digital or physical) to demonstrate compliance with criteria. Do that in a very simple way, without much extra work.

4. Monitoring and Internal Evaluation.

Data provides the evidence for your efforts and helps identify inefficiencies.

Data recording: Record at least monthly key KPIs, such as specific energy and water consumption per guest night and the amount of waste sorted.
CO2 calculation: Use tools such as the Hotel Carbon Management Initiative (HCMI) to map your footprint.

5. Involvement of Staff and Guests

Staff training: provide employees with at least annual training on environmental management and social rights.
Guest feedback: Use surveys to get guests’ input on your sustainability performance.
Nudging: Make it easy for guests to contribute through subtle cues and icons.

6. Cooperation with the Local Community

Local Stakeholders: Maintain active collaborations with residents, schools or local governments.
Local Purchasing: Prioritize local and fair-trade products to strengthen the local economy.

7. Planetary Boundaries and Social Impact.

Your governance system ensures that your company operates within the safe boundaries of the planet:

Planetary Boundaries: Through systematic management, guard the boundaries for climate change, biosphere integrity and freshwater use.
Minimum Social Limits (Donut Economy).: You ensure a secure social foundation by focusing on labor rights, health, accessibility and local engagement.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).: Your management contributes directly to SDG 8 (Fair Work), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption) and SDG 17 (Partnerships).

8. More Information & Tools

GSTC Hotel Criteria.: The global standard for sustainable tourism.
Green Key Belgium: Criteria and explanations for the Belgian market.
EU Ecolabel for Lodging.: European guidelines and technical reports.
Travels to Tomorrow: Tourism Flanders’ vision of a thriving destination.
PXL University College – Sustainable lodging: Practice-oriented research and tools for SMEs.

This guide is a living document. By working with local partners and sharing experiences, we are building journeys to tomorrow together.

Collective intelligence, stronger than artificial intelligence !