The road to sustainable tourism

The current Covid-19 situation exposes the vulnerabilities of many sectors, but also puts an organization on edge. How can you improve further and where is the focus? At Chill-Outdoor we value quality. The well-being of our immediate environment and the (environmental) impact of our activities also play an important role in the choices we make.

This blog is about the steps that Chill-Outdoor is taking and will take in the above areas. In this way we try to contribute to the development of sustainable tourism in our region.

What initiatives is Chill-Outdoor affiliated to?

Pon Aragon en tu mesa

A project that values and promotes rural products from the Aragon region. Literally translated: ‘put Aragon on the table‘. With this initiative, participants not only support local businesses, but also really taste guests of Aragonese soil.

Examples of local foods that Chill-Outdoor works with:

• Wines from the Somontano region (Bodegas Sers)
• Ham from teruel province (Jamón de Teruel)
• Chocolate from Benabarre (Chocolate Bresco)
• Rice from the Pyrenees (Arroz Brazal)
• Olive oil from Artasona (Aceites Artasona)
• Organic pork (Latón de la Fueva)
• Veri spring water (Veri, agua pura del Pirineo)
• Honey from Ribagorza (Miel de Ribagorza)
• Beer from Sobrarbe (Cerveza Rondadora)
• Yoghurt from Fonz (Yogur de Fonz)
• Cheeses from Senz and Benabarre (Quesos Senz y Quesos Benabarre)

Compromiso de Calidad Turística and Destinos

In other words: Dedication to the quality of a tourist area. Each year, efforts by participating organisations are recognised. In order to improve the quality of a tourist area, a number of standards have been established. Including:

• Safe working conditions
• Clearly communicated prices and payment methods
• You know the environment in which you work and know the languages
• Listen to the wishes of your guests and handle complaints
• Contact with local partners

Plan responsabilidad social de Aragon

This is a project that encourages corporate social responsibility in Aragon. In various courses you will learn to translate the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations into your own situation. End goal: a better world for all. At the moment we have started with three objectives:

The three sustainable pillars of Chill-Outdoor:

Improve liveability:

• Presence of facilities: the Chill-Outdoor Café caters the food and drink of guests, but also villagers and Spaniards with a second residence can come and have a bite and a drink in their own village. With amenities such as publicly accessible internet and a shop. We consult with the municipality where we can help in the village. Current actions: refurbishing footpaths, improving signage, ping pong table for youth.
• Social security and economic growth: tourism is moving to a relatively unknown and sparsely populated area in Spain. With our company we fill local accommodations and help the outdoor providers. In the café we create jobs.
• Health and well-being employees: equality and a safe workplace

Environmentally responsible working:

• Eye for local: working with local and where possible organic products
• Energy saving: heating the water on the campsite with solar collectors
• Waste disposal: separating products and using biodegradable paper/plastic

Raising awareness of sustainability:

• Responsible consumption: quality is leading in entering into collaborations and purchasing products
• Reduce tourism footprint: no motorised activities, CO2 compensation via Trees for All
• Close contact: by contacting our guests before, during and after their stay, we evaluate the quality. Conversations with our fellow villagers also provide input for improvements.
• Local collaboration: together you achieve more. Create long-term collaborations with our suppliers (e.g. outdoor companies, accommodations, restaurants, catering suppliers)

Take new steps

is important, because we are far from there. For example, we are currently focusing on the following themes and questions:

• How do we give the off-season a qualitative boost?
• How do we involve villagers more during our peak season?
• Implementation cooperation with Trees for all for CO2 compensation
• Activities for children (from the village) in high season
• Building charging points electric cars
• Expand vegetarian options on the map

What are your sustainable ideas?

As an organization, we continue to learn. Our guests, cooperation partners and sustainable initiatives are an important inspiration to keep improving.

Do you have a tip? Or do you want to share something with us? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, because we’d love to hear your ideas!

From now on, we regularly write on our LinkedIn channel about concrete examples of projects and initiatives we are working on. Here, too, we would like to hear your opinion.