Survey says: Sustainability in tourism is a top concern
March 24, 2011
At a recent press conference at the Falkensteiner Hotel Am Schottenfeld, Michaeler & Partner and ÖGNI presented the first results of a study on sustainable tourism, which was conducted in collaboration with students of MODUL University Vienna. Developed in close cooperation of all parties, in the study rates the sustainability of tourist infrastructures.
Results showed that 59% of the surveyed hotel guests are willing to pay more for a more environmentally friendly hotel. Price, location and cleanliness are the top three considerations; however, environmental aspects also have a high priority. According to the study, hotels that focus on renewable energy, improved air quality, and recycling in the hotel room are guaranteed to win customers with these measures.
In recent years, sustainable construction and management of facilities have become a particularly important topic in tourism. ‘‘Companies in the United States have made inroads in this field, choosing to book employees on business trips in sustainability certified hotels. Therefore, it is increasingly important for hotel operators to run establishments that are certified accordingly, "said Martina Maly, Managing Director at Michaeler & Partner. For tourism services providers based in Vienna, it is important to form a strong partnership with ÖGNI in order to obtain certification for sustainability in Austria. The tourism and leisure industry in Austria alone currently accounts for more than 15% of the gross domestic product.
ÖGNI founding president MMag. Philipp Kaufmann, MASS, underlines the importance of cooperation in that "a vision without implementation is a dream. In Austria, as well as in other countries in Europe, the paradigm shift in the tourism sector towards sustainability in construction and management must be made now and not tomorrow. Every beginning is a step in the right direction. Even if only 70% of our common goals with the certification are implemented, it will be a great success, especially for the climate and nature conservation. "
In the image from left to right:
Martina Maly (CEO Michaeler & Partner)
MMag. Philipp Kaufmann (ÖGNI)
Sara Machado Vieira (Student MODUL University)
David Leonard (Student MODUL University)
Dr. Astrid Dickinger (Associate Professor MODUL University)