The Lviv Tourist Office helps interested and responsible hotels in training to find out how to ensure the operation of the establishment according to the principles of sustainable development, and which of the already existing practices correspond to these.
In August, the all-Ukrainian project “Restoration and modernization of hospitality establishments based on the principles of Zero Waste & Climate Friendly” was completed. As part of the project, 40 selected hospitality establishments from all over Ukraine received free training and received expert support for the implementation of zero-waste and climate-friendly solutions. The Lviv hotel “Cubby” also joined this project.
“The sustainable development of tourism has long been a priority of the world’s tourist cities. In simple words, it means caring for the community and the area, both for the business that operates there and for the tourists who come there. This year, we began to delve deeper into the experiences of other cities to adopt sustainable development practices. We are glad that businesses are appearing in Lviv that are willing to implement them, and we can help them in this,” says Khrystyna Lebed, head of the tourism department.
For example, the established practices of the “Cubby” hotel, which can be implemented by other accommodation establishments:
- Reducing water use: reusing towels, having only water-saving toilets and showers with low water pressure;
- Energy savings: availability of key cards and motion-controlled electricity in rooms, lounge space and all common areas;
- Light reduction: for 100% lighting in the hotel, energy-efficient LED lamps, double-glazed windows are used;
- Plants and oxygen: plants are grown in the hotel, more fresh natural air is provided;
- Local food: about 80-90% of food is supplied from the Lviv region;
- Waste reduction: the hotel applies a policy of reducing, recycling, and disposing of food waste. In particular, instead of the buffet service, guests are offered the option to order meals in advance.
- No Plastic Policy: The hotel does not offer single-use plastic containers for shampoo, conditioner or shower gel. There are also no plastic cups, cutlery or other utensils.
In order to find out to what extent an establishment meets the criteria of sustainable development (hotel, restaurant, tourist information center, shop), the international organization “Green Destinations” offers a free self-assessment as part of the Good Travel Sсan business certification program. These are 27 questions from 10 criteria of sustainable tourism (rational use of natural resources, sorting of household waste, accessibility, sustainable management, etc.). If, as a result of the self-assessment, the institution scores more than 65%, it will have the opportunity to register for Good Travel Seal Level 1 certification. In case of insufficient points, the institution will receive suggestions for improvement.