Booking bets on sustainable tourism in 2020

The tourism sector is one of the most important in the world. For many countries it means a great engine of the economy, it employs large numbers of people and the visit of tourists brings life and activity to the cities. But in recent years the strong growth of travel has brought problems for the ecosystems of the places. The massive influx of visitors coincides with high levels of pollution.
Governments, companies and citizens took note of the problem and one of the alternatives to contribute to reducing pollution in the sector is what is known as ecotourism. One of the latest news about Booking is that the virtual tourism giant will pay special attention in 2020 to those who present projects of what is known as sustainable accommodation.

Special program, talks and funds to distribute

Booking Booster is a division within Booking that aims to organize and finance programs for social purposes. This year you will dedicate all your efforts to sustainable travel solutions. From the company they reported that the call is open to present projects that address the problem of pollution.
The Booking proposal for sustainable tourism is aimed at all types of accommodation, non-governmental organizations, startups and social companies. There will be two events, one in May for those who are providers of services and products that help a site improve its ecological efficiency and another in September for the owners of the accommodation. In the meetings, practical workshops will be held and advice will be provided for those who decide to find solutions for an option that is very relevant for both travelers and members of the sector. According to data from the Booking App, 87% of tourists believe that it is important to consider sustainable accommodation when they travel and 82% of the establishments that are part of Booking want to participate in this type of initiative.
At the end of each meeting the participants will make an exhibition with their proposals. The projects that are selected will be able to obtain part of the aid funds that the company will allocate, which are 2.6 million euros. Beyond that, all the works that are part will receive follow-up from the mentors and experts of the company regardless of whether they are selected or not.
The criteria for choosing the recipients of Booking financial aid will be the positive impact that the proposal may have on tourism, it must be a genuine solution and possible to carry out, the growth strategy must be good, finances and Projections of the idea must be structured and possible to carry out and the project must come from a solid team with good leadership.

The importance of ecotourism

The latest news about Booking and the decision to bet on tourism that improves environmental conditions allow us to stop and review what conditions must be met in order to be sustainable.
Studies conducted by industry organizations indicate that most travelers are interested and willing to pay for services that are respectful of caring for the planet.
The measures that must be considered to meet these characteristics are:

• Use recyclable and organic materials. This should apply both to the supplies that are applied to cleaning the places and to the resources to build them.
  
  
• Include and respect workers who belong to the community of the area where the establishment is located.
  
  
• Use measures to control energy expenditure. For example applying LED lighting or solar panels.
  
  
• Take care of the environment respecting biodiversity in general and make responsible use of available resources.
  
  
• Reduce noise impact and waste disposal.
  
  
• Propose long-term projects that take into account the changes that the presence of the accommodation and the tourists who attend it can generate.

The latest news about one of the most important apps like Booking, shows that it is very remarkable that companies act in order to collaborate on issues that directly affect people's lives and the environment. A firm that is dedicated to an industry such as tourism must be aware of the changes that the environment may undergo to project its business in the long term.