August 17, 2020 | Updated: July 4, 2022
Green tourism near home has become the safest option for this summer and promotes a way of travelling based on the circular economy, kilometre zero cuisine and outdoor sporting and cultural activities.
Tourism has been reinvented since the Covid-19 health emergency with new services and safety protocols to protect guests’ health and increase their wellbeing. After the industry’s paralysis in the first wave of the pandemic and the temporary suspension of activity decreed in Spain under the state of alarm, companies and organisations dedicated to tourism have established sustainability, solidarity and ethical standards as the three priorities necessary to reactivate this market and mitigate the immediate effects of the lockdown, through international cooperation and the protection of workers and consumers.
Digitalisation, product diversification, the circular economy and sustainability are among the issues to be considered if tourism is to reopen effectively and responsibly. “Sustainability must no longer be a niche part of tourism but must be the new norm for every part of our sector. This is one of the central elements of our Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism. It is in our hands to transform tourism and that emerging from COVID-19 becomes a turning point for sustainability,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in an official statement.
Sustainable tourism based on the Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO health protocols introduced to combat Covid-19 has revived ecotourism as one of the safest tourism options this summer.
Activities in contact with nature, support for the local economy for the conservation of the area, and cultural exchanges are among the advantages offered by this kind of tourism, which, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), is the fastest growing type (between 15% and 30% per year) and accounts for 20% of world tourism.
The PORCELANOSA Group shares these principles in its Eco Conscious Green Industrial Programme. The Group’s latest achievements in sustainable design and innovation have made it possible to develop more durable, eco-efficient and environmentally-friendly collections to promote rational consumption of energy and water in hotels and restaurants and redirect tourism towards a new, more sustainable model with technology and the reuse of own resources as a driver of change.
Below, we list some of the sustainable hotels that have improved their energy efficiency with PORCELANOSA Group collections.
The four-star Hotel RH Bayren & Spa in Gandía has refurbished its exterior with KRION™ K-Life Lux 1100 compact mineral. The 256-square metre ventilated façade is 100% sustainable and purifies the air thanks to its K-Life technology (Kreast Eco-Active Solid Technology) and improves the hygiene of the complex thanks to the absence of joins and its zero porosity, which prevent the accumulation and proliferation of fungi and bacteria. Butech’s K-Fix system was used to attach this compact mineral, which made it possible for each piece to be perfectly positioned.
Architecture: Ainhoa Hernández.
This is the last project that architect Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), winner of the 2004 Pritzker Award, carried out during her lifetime. Located in the Opus building, this five-star hotel is defined by its sustainable volumetric structures and promotes the fight against climate change through its drinking water filtration systems and the light sensors in each of its 74 rooms and 19 suites.
The décor and furniture of the Hotel Me Dubái by Meliá also bear the architect’s imprint, as can be seen in the curved lines and balanced brutalism characteristic of her buildings, where open rooms and natural light play an important role. This can be seen in the hotel’s bathrooms, which incorporate the “Vitae” collection (exclusive design for Noken in the Porcelanosa Group), whose futuristic style recreates the movement of water in each piece while minimising the consumption of water and energy.
Architecture: Zaha Hadid Architects
Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu
On the seafront of Sanxenxo (Galicia), stands the Hotel Silgar 92, a boutique hotel that incorporates the PORCELANOSA Group’s premium collections in its facilities.
Inspired by the exclusive quality of statuary marble, Urbatek’s XLight Kala White extra-fine porcelain gives a special character to the walls and floor in the reception area, emphasising the hotel’s minimalist design. To enhance the hotel’s sustainability, the Ramón García Group has chosen Krion Snow White 1100 EAST (K·life) for the bathrooms because of its pure white colour and aseptic properties. These rooms also contain Noken’s Acro Compact toilets (the 4.5/3L flush uses 25 % less water than conventional systems) and the Smart shower column, which saves energy and water thanks to its Safe Stop system. This technology blocks the water temperature at 38°C and cuts off the hot water supply if the flow of cold water is interrupted, to avoid the risk of burns. “The effortless bathroom we propose reduces maintenance costs and energy consumption is safer and more controlled,” Noken comment.
Another alternative for bathroom equipment that is gaining ground in hotels is Krion Shell™, a double-layer material made from natural minerals bonded with bioresin, made from recycled PET. Hygienic, easy to clean and impact resistant, it has earned a number of sustainability certifications (SCS, GreenGuard and REACH), making it a fine ally of hotels promoting ecotourism.
Architecture:Grupo Ramón García
Photo: Ismael Gosende
The work of prestigious architects such as Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and and Jean Nouvel, it has become an icon of hotel design. The Hotel Puerta América’s latest refurbishment was carried out by the Galöw studio.In the lobby Krion Snow White 1100 EAST (K·life)has been used to provide greater resistance and improved hygiene for travellers. With this compact mineral, spills and dirt can be cleaned quickly and up to 100% of chemical substances can be removed. When K-Life is in contact with any type of light, its properties are activated through photocatalysis, initiating a self-cleaning process and regeneration of the air.
The Hotel Vincci La Rábida offers you the chance to spend a few nights in an eighteenth-century mansion just a few metres from Seville Cathedral. A four-star hotel with two restaurants, this complex has maintained the original interior courtyard and placed rooms and common areas around it.
Its Andalusian architecture combines tastefully with minimalist décor using colourful textiles, geometric lamps and baroque mirrors. The blend of classic and modern is the most striking feature of its bathrooms, where Noken’s Round taps in matt black finish are combined with the Tec Round shower (also by Noken) and one-piece washbasins. This shower limits water consumption to 9 litres/min and, together with the Acro N 3/4.5 litre ECO double flush toilet, transforms the bathroom into a restful, environmentally-friendly space.
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