Tenerife’s tourism minister has pledged support for ‘green’ tourism as he backed the Travelife sustainability certification scheme for hotels.
Carlos Alonso outlined the island’s tourism strategy as 55 local hoteliers attended a roadshow run by Travelife.
He said: “Sustainability is at the heart of our tourism strategy and initiatives such as Travelife are an important part of our plans.
“We’ve developed a strategy which focuses on Tenerife’s volcanic landscape encouraging customers to see more of the island than just its beaches and allowing them to track their carbon footprint whilst on holiday.
“Hotels play a key role in encouraging holidaymakers to explore and engage with what the island has to offer and so getting them involved in sustainability initiatives is a central part of our strategy.”
Travelife relationships manager Fiona Humphries said: “A growing number of holidaymakers are thinking about the impact of their travel and schemes like Travelife enable hotels to communicate the achievements they have made in sustainability.
“The Tenerife tourism minister and his department are leading the way on ensuring healthy future development for the island and the strong turnout shows that businesses are recognising the need to take these issues seriously.”
Surya Pereyra Kröll, director of roadshow venue and Travelife gold award winner Sunprime Coral Suites & Spa, said: “Our commitment with Travelife has proved vital to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices in the hotel sector in Tenerife. Our ongoing efforts include training staff so they can adapt to the latest technology used in recycling, waste and consumption.”