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.
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. Focus on Small-scale Lodging (SME/B&B).
Focus on achievable steps and maintain your authenticity. A simple digital dashboard or checklist is often more effective than a complex management system.
8. Planetary Boundaries and Social Impact.
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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).
9. 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 !
