EU Eco-label: an opportunity for tourism and the environment
Bern, 09.10.2006 - The Swiss Tourism Federation (STV) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) today presented the EU Eco-label to four tourist accommodation enterprises. These establishments undertake special efforts to use natural resources sustainably. The internationally recognized eco-label confers a competitive advantage, making the holders more attractive for environmentally conscious holidaymakers from Switzerland and the European Union. The introduction of the eco-label in Switzerland has been supported by the FOEN. It is now being offered by the STV as a new instrument for the promotion of quality in the Swiss tourism sector.
Attractive landscapes are the lifeblood of tourism in Switzerland. But, as FOEN Director Bruno Oberle pointed out today at the presentation of the EU Eco-label to four Swiss tourist accommodation enterprises in Bern, “Beautiful scenery and nature cannot be taken for granted.” Conserving natural resources such as landscape diversity, forests, soil, water and clean air, he added, meant being able to use them over the long term. Here, tourism and environmental policy work hand in hand. A case in point is the EU Eco-label, which Swiss establishments can now gain as a mark of their environmental awareness.
Holders of the label are required to reduce their energy and water consumption and to generate less waste. By promoting the selection of regional products and the use of renewable resources, the label creates competitive advantages across Europe for hotels, youth hostels, holiday apartments and mountain cabins. Speaking to the media, STV Director Judith Renner-Bach commented: “With the EU Eco-label, an accommodation enterprise communicates its regard for nature – both to its guests and to its staff. A company awarded this label has a mark which is recognized throughout Europe – an area with a pool of 500 million consumers.” From February 2007, the new label will also be included in the online hotel guide operated by the organization hotelleriesuisse.
Label awarded to four enterprises
In Bern today, the Swiss Tourism Federation (STV) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) presentend the EU Eco-label to four tourist accommodation enterprises – a 5-star hotel in Saas-Fee, a youth hostel, a holiday apartment operator in Saas-Fee and an SAC cabin (see attached list). The eco-label had already been awarded to the Boldern convention centre in Männedorf last year.
The introduction of the EU Eco-label was launched by the FOEN, in conjunction with the Bern University Research Institute for Leisure and Tourism (FIF); this included the production of a Swiss Handbook. Responsibility for coordination, training and marketing of the label is now being taken on by the STV. During the pilot phase – which ran from April 2005 to September 2006 – the application procedure was simplified. A Swiss auditor can now check, through an on-site inspection, whether an establishment meets the requirements specified for the EU Eco-label. The decision on certification is taken by the Competent Body in Austria, in collaboration with the STV. An excellent working partnership has been established with this authority.
Address for enquiries
Bruno Oberle, Director, Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Tel. +41 (0)31 322 24 92
Judith Renner-Bach, Director, Swiss Tourism Federation (STV), Tel. +41 (0)79 415 57 92
Publisher
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en
