Ecotourism Australia CEO Rod Hillman resigns after nine years - 2021
It is a great pleasure to share this news today for several reasons. One of them is to celebrate Rod Hillman work at Ecotourism Australia, Also I want to wish Rod Hillman and Ecotourism Australia a great successful future. Another reason is there is a fantastic job opportunity to cover Rod ex job.
Major Queensland tourism industry bodies collaborate for long-term industry sustainability - 2021
I am glad to share with you the latest media release from Ecotourism Australia.
Nature-based tourism operators in Queensland are being given a boost this month thanks to a new agreement between long-term industry partners, Ecotourism Australia (EA) and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) to cross-recognise each other’s certification programs.
EA certifies Australian nature-based tourism operators and destinations through its ECO, Respecting our Culture, Climate Action and destination certification programs. QTIC certifies Queensland-based tourism businesses through the national Quality Tourism Accreditation program.
Thanks to the new agreement, Ecotourism Australia’s over 200 certified operators in Queensland will receive all benefits of the Quality Tourism Accreditation program (QTAB).
These benefits include licencing to use the nationally recognised Quality Tourism Accreditation branding, access to their own ReviewPro online reputation management dashboard and automatic eligibility for the Queensland Tourism Awards. Operators will also only be charged one, unchanged fee and be subject to a single, triennial audit.
Chair of Ecotourism Australia, Dr Claire Ellis, praised the agreement, saying it was a logical evolution of the organisations’ long-standing relationship.
“Our industry relies on strong partnerships and now, more than ever before, it is vital we work together for the benefit of our operators and the industry more broadly. This will not only make businesses stronger and save them money but enable ourselves and QTIC to provide more integrated support as we work towards the sustainable recovery of our industry,” said Dr Ellis.
Shane O’Reilly, QTIC Chair and Managing Director of O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, an Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame entrant, said that the agreement was a solid reflection of how both organisations focus on their members, their future sustainability and viability and engage them in ways to make their members more robust, and more resilient.
“While this will eventually strengthen both EA and QTIC as well, it is [the organisations’] focus on their members rather than themselves which makes this sharing of benefits such a special initiative. Tourism businesses need this type of initiative and grounded support and I encourage others in the political arena to take notice.”
A toolbox to tackle waste issues in tourism and events 2019
Makesense and SUEZ are the companies responsible for the project Future of waste and the 2018 Wasteless Journeys campaign with a focus on managing waste in tourism and events (hotels, hostels, campsites, restaurants, festivals, conferences, congresses, sports, cultural and artistic events). Contents about practical examples and suggestions were collected in a toolbox, divided into four parts, methodology with procedures for starting the change, solutions for each waste issue, examples from tourism and event companies and other exciting resources.
It is worth remembering that 25% of tents (made of plastics and metals) are abandoned after an event, and this causes issues as they need a lot of years to decompose. Another fact to be aware of is that 5% of the total CO2 emissions are caused by tourism, and 10% is part of this industry in a country’s GDP.
The toolbox is available online for everyone interested in the topic, and there is the opportunity to register for a free 3-month course.
Here are some examples from the different industries analyzed:
- For instance, Ecocamp Patagonia (Chile) is a sustainable hotel that pays attention to reducing plastic use and working with local providers as suppliers of food for restaurants.
- We Love Green Festival (France) is trying to reduce plastic and paper, use recycled materials for the scenography and dry toilets to save water. As a result, 74% of the waste was recovered, and the same amount of 33 Paris-NY flights CO2 was held. Furthermore, a circular economy was developed after the event to reuse the products for other events.
- The Silo Restaurant is a modern zero-waste restaurant which turns food into compost and uses a mill to transform wheat into flour. In addition, upcycling is used to reuse, for example, old fashion bags into plates where bread is served.
- Change Now Summit is a business event aiming to be sober in using installations and decorations and renting them instead of buying them. Recycling and reusing practices are part of the event, and it is trying to make attendees aware of the environmental issues.
- London Olympic Games is an example of a sporting event which cares about waste disposal. The organizers followed the British Standard for a Sustainable Event Management System and won the ISO 20121 for Sustainable Event Management. During the event, no waste was sent to landfill and recycling, reusing and composting were used as a method.
In my opinion, it is an exciting project with practical examples that are very useful for companies and organizations already implementing changes toward more sustainable management and those who haven’t started yet. Among the steps on how to start, it is essential to withdraw from the local context and how to involve stakeholders: this way of looking at a project is significant as the success of the business depends on locals’ acceptance.
Mariya Germanova
Cultural Tourism Sustains Communities and Living Heritage conference 2018
At the beginning of December 2018, members of both UNESCO and UNWTO met in Turkey with the vision of implementing a more sustainable tourism approach in the next years and, more precisely, focusing on how to use cultural tourism to preserve local heritage, not only in remote villages but also in cities, making them more innovative.
The Conference had two main goals:
- To find how can tourism and cultural actors cooperate together to respect the Sustainable Development Goals 2030;
- To support tourism development which as a result will help culture and bring benefits to all the stakeholders involved.
In the opening of the Conference, the president of Malta Ms. Coleiro Preca underlined the importance of culture for a more sustainable tourism which enhances cooperation. More than 30 ministries were present at the Conference and agreed about the importance of cooperation between stakeholders. In particular, the need of actions to preserve local interests combined with tourism development, and how to make the community be represented in the tourism plan.
One very important point was made about the fact that it is fundamental to find a connection between tourism and heritage so that the large numbers of visitors do not damage the cultural attractions. As we know there is a big debate on over tourism in cities like Barcelona for example and this could be a disincentive for locals if they do not see any benefit from tourists. For this reason, it is essential to spread visitors in other sites and also share the profit coming from tourism attractions to the local population.
During the three days of Conference, there were 3 sessions which are explained below.
Message by UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili
Session 1: Cultural tourism for sustainable and creative cities
The first session was about UNESCO Creative Cities which use new methods and culture to become sustainable. The questions addressed were about how to use creativity to change cultural tourism in a positive way and how actors involved can share the advantages from tourism. An example of this would be the Orange Tourism, a more responsible tourism to generate development based on the own identity of the place, which was applied in different cities like Dublin (Ireland) named as “UNESCO Creative City for Literature Bloomsday: citizens and tourist participation live the Ulysses world created by James Joyce”.
Session 2: Responsible tourism as an ally for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
The second session was focused on Intangible Cultural Heritage and the community. This is very important as the community is the one who is the Intangible Heritage itself and a more responsible tourism would support local traditions carried on from generation to generation. Some of the questions were about how to combine tourism and Intangible Heritage to make heritage survive and how to make tourism preserve heritage and not be a damage.
An example would be the Kozara Ethno Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim of promoting rural tourism in the mountain region Kozara. This type of cultural event managed to involve locals and give them benefits for their work in a long-term perspective. http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/summaryview.pdf
Session 3: Ensuring cultural tourism for all through digital transformation
The last session was about ICT role in cultural tourism and examples of how accessibility issues were overcome using technology. The questions in this session were about how ICT can be useful for actors in cultural tourism and how to make that digitalisation helps and not destroy heritage. An example could be what happened in the Lavaux vineyards where digitalisation was used in a simple and effective way to make tourists aware of the traditions of the place. Tourists could use their mobile devices to point a QR code and then a “local” digital actor would tell them about the history of the wineyards.
Another interesting example could be in Brandenburg (Germany) for Sustainable Digitalization of Cultural Heritage, using “Europeana” a digital portal, which shows the collections of cultural heritage as art, manuscripts, history helping institutions to display their precious work.
Overall, it is interesting to note that many developing countries were present at the event and had the opportunity to express their opinion. Moreover, this Conference is the signal that institutions are trying to reach a long-term vision and plan in order to prevent unsustainable practices especially in the developing countries which bear the consequences of this. This Conference is also a result from the changing needs of tourists, which look for authenticity in a place, something unique they cannot find at their countries and local heritage is the attraction which can make the difference. It is not only essential for visitors to preserve Heritage, but also for the local identity of a community, which needs to be acknowledged and maintained over time so that the future generations would be able to feel that they are part of a community with traditions which are appreciated by other people.
The next Conference will be held in Kyoto (Japan) in 2019 and it will create a declaration, focused on inter sectorial cooperation to reach the SDG 2030.
Mariya
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Tourism for SDGs Platform - 2018
UNWTO launches an online Platform to Achieve SDGs through Tourism tourism4sdgs.org
As stated in the UNWTO press release
The online tool is designed to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through tourism and was developed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Tourism4SDGs.org is a co-creation space that allows users to access a wide range of resources, add their own initiatives, findings, and projects, motivate discussion and collaboration, and share content related to tourism and sustainable development.
The platform was launched during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’ (New York, 9-18 July) during an event co-hosted by UNWTO and the One Planet network.
The ‘Tourism for SDGs platform is aimed at policymakers, international organizations, academia, donors, companies and all tourism stakeholders and encourages them to engage in SDG implementation strategies. The platform’s three main features, Learn, Share and Act, are also calls for action, conversation and collaboration towards a sustainable tourism sector.
Tourism for SDGS Platform – Introduction video
How does the SDGS Platform work?
The platform’s three main features: Learn, Share and Act are calling for action, conversation and collaboration towards a sustainable tourism sector. What can you do to get started on the platform?
1# read tourism for SDG’s content
- what are the SDG’s
- Tourism and SDG’s
- Companies CSR and SDG’s
- Tourism in national SDG strategies (Integrated national SDG planning recommendations for tourism policymakers)
After that, you can start using the platform to learn about
- events
- research
- stories
- initiatives
- policy papers (here I found the ITALY TOURISM POLICY IN VOLUNTARY NATIONAL REVIEW (VNR) an interesting document that explains which SDG’s are implemented and how at the national level.
- education and training includes any type of educational event or program related to the tourism and SDG’s
- Company CSR description and information about corporate social responsibility strategies and actions implemented.
After learning from others you can also add and share your own content, I am going to add soon my experience and my contribution in particular through Slow Lake Como.
In the end, you can choose how to act, in case you are not acting already or you can change and modify your acts.
7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism - 2018
Sustainable tourism is a transversal topic, this is the main reason why I decided to share more about events and conferences of the industry. Urban tourism and its potential for more sustainable and inclusive cities will be the major focus of the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism (16-19 September 2018) in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The Summit aims to set out a vision looking to 2030 for this rapidly-growing tourism segment.
The Summit also embraces the growing segment of youth travel through the UNWTO Global Youth Summit on Urban Tourism side-event (18 September).
As stated in UNWTO press release
The Summit, the first of its kind in North-East Asia, is designed to encourage new strategic approaches to the challenge of a growing tourism sector and its impact on urban destinations, through sharing of innovative ideas and experiences.
Innovative approaches to competitiveness in urban destinations, technology’s impact on urban tourism, rejuvenation of cities, and increasing inclusion in city development are among the topics to be featured.
The provisional program includes:
Keynote Address by Mr. B. Joseph Pine II, Cofounder of the Strategic Horizons LLP
High Level Panel: Urban Tourism in 2030
The panel will provide a policy discussion on urban tourism in view of the New Urban Agenda (HABITAT III) and the new dynamics and trends in demand and supply, notably by fostering exchanges of experience and mutual learning on sustainable urban tourism policies and practice.
SESSION 1: Looking Towards 2030: An Innovative Approach to Competitiveness in Urban Destinations
This session will explore how urban tourism needs a new thinking to optimize the needs and expectations of the new customer through innovation and technology in the areas of data collection, planning, development, governance and management.
SESSION 2: The 4th Industrial Revolution Shaping the Future of Urban Tourism
This session will focus on the current opportunities and challenges presented by technology, new platform tourism services, the transformation in new business models and labor force and mobility patterns. Under a ‘2030 vision’ for urban tourism, the panel will discuss the ways to maximize the positive impact for the visitor and the local community while minimizing the undesirable consequences of tourism in urban areas. As a key concept, Smart
Cities will also be illustrated through successful cases.
On Tuesday Morning (18th of September) an interesting One-on-One Interview by Rajan Datar, Host of BBC Travel Show with Lauren Sorkin, Managing Director, Asia Pacific,100 Resilient Cities initiative, pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation.
Followed by SESSION 3: Urban Tourism and the Rejuvenation of Cities
Tourism in urban areas creates spatial dynamics for transforming the urban landscape through the rejuvenation of public space, public infrastructure and connectivity, development of local amenities and recreational facilities and hence builds a quality visitor experience while safeguarding and enhancing the quality of life for the local community. This session will showcase urban destinations which have achieved success in this regard.
I am very pleased to see Italy represented by Giovanni Andrea Martini, President of Municipality of Venice,
Murano, Burano at SESSION 4: Fair and Inclusive Tourism: Building cities for all
In the framework of the annual ‘Seoul International Fair and Sustainable Tourism Forum’, which has been hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the UNWTO, and organized by the Seoul Tourism Organization since 2016, this session will provide a global insight on how to adopt a local approach to economic and social development in urban destinations by integrating the local community and its components along the tourism value chain.
The full provisional program can be found here (click the link to open the pdf file)
The 6th Global Summit on Urban Tourism, co-organized by MOTAC, and UNWTO, is being held in Kuala Lumpur from December 4-6 2017. During the summit, Ms. Esencan Terzibasoglu, Director of the Destination Management and Quality Programme at the UNWTO, released the UNWTO-WTCF City Tourism Performance Research. Representatives of 5 cities including WTCF city members Buenos Aires, Hangzhou, Cape Town and Turin interpreted the report during the summit.
Green Travel Leaders show commitment to sustainability is good for business - 2018
I am sharing this news to highlight the reason why Ecotourism Australia certified members are proud of their choice.
As of 2018, one third of Ecotourism Australia’s certified operators are Green Travel Leaders, which means they have been certified for 10 years or longer.
It’s proof that being sustainable goes beyond just being ‘green’– it’s also about positioning yourself to excel in an increasingly saturated industry.
For Ecotourism Australia’s longest-certified operators – 10 of which have this year been certified for 20 years or longer – being part of the Ecotourism Australia family means lots of different things:
“As proud ambassadors for environmentally responsible, ethical and sustainable tourism, our Advanced Ecotourism Certification, status as a Green Travel Leader and especially being one of only ten operators Australia-wide to have been certified for 20 years, is something our entire team is very proud of,” says Jan Claxton, Owner/Operator of Ocean Rafting, who achieved certification in 1998.
Craig Wickham, Managing Director of Advanced Ecotourism Certified Exceptional Kangaroo Island, says that being certified helps him stay strategically focused:
“In business you get so caught up with the everyday that the strategic stuff [like annually updating business, marketing, operational and environmental management plans to maintain certification] can get lost.
“I really appreciate having a team in our corner providing the drive and encouragement to get this stuff updated.”
Shane O’Reilly, Managing Director of O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, agrees:
“ECO Certification informs our guests – and reminds ourselves – of what we are doing. However, certification also motivates us to strive further and achieve more in the sustainability space.”
In the Northern Territory, Gecko Canoeing and Trekking, who lead Advanced Ecotourism certified canoeing, kayaking and hiking experiences in the Katherine Region, Nitmiluk National Park and Kakadu National Park, consider their 20-year certification as a source of pride:
“Gecko Canoeing and Trekking takes pride in our Ecotourism Accreditation as it reinforces our goals of building the respect, knowledge and appreciation of the environment through direct interaction and experience when joining us on one of our wilderness touring experiences, explains Mick Jerram, Managing Director.
“Through these experiences we provide our guests with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves completely in a natural world which they leave ‘feeling a part of’ and understanding that our role in preserving its integrity is an important obligation in our lives.
“Thank you, Ecotourism Australia, for maintaining an important pathway to assist businesses to communicate their commitment to looking after the environment.”
To find out more about Ecotourism Australia’s Green Travel Leaders, check out the full list on the Green Travel Guide.
4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism Bangkok - 2018
Sustainable tourism is a transversal topic, this is the main reason why I decided to share more about events and conferences of the industry. 30 May – 1 June, for example, the 4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism takes place in Bangkok, Thailand.
As stated in UNWTO website “this 4th edition of the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will specifically focus on harnessing the power of technology as a driver for sustainable growth.” It would be interesting to follow the event and to understand currents trends and challenges in the sector, best practices and inspiring discussions on intercultural dialogue, gastro diplomacy, and the importance of technology for sustainable gastronomy tourism. The conclusions of the previous edition can be read here, thanks to Youtube channel most of presentations and conferences can be founded and followed, please check UNWTO youtube channel and UNWTO facebook page for the streaming of the events.
The preliminary program includes different type of events and activities, the most interesting, in my opinion, are:
UNWTO member’s panel: experiences and best practices. This section will consist of presentations showing examples of successful initiatives in gastronomy tourism, providing an ideal space for the exchange of expertise and for the development of projects that foster sustainable practices in gastronomy tourism. I am pleased to see an Italian name among the names of the panel.
Workshops led by start-ups
Attendants will be divided into four groups for a hands-on experience in four different locations in Bangkok
Bangkok Food Tours Workshop: From Zero to Food Heroes – how Bangkok Food Tours uses technology and service design to reinterpret local food and revitalize the old town In this workshop, led by Bangkok Food Tours (BFT), participants will learn and experience the first ever behind-the-scenes tour on how the startup deploys technology and service design process to acquire customers and scale up its business, whilst helping the local community. The workshop will begin with an introduction of BFT, followed by a discussion on the technology and service design that BFT uses to innovate its travel programme. Participants will be given the Historic Bangrak Food and Cultural Walking Tour awarded Thailand’s best cultural tour programme. The hands-on tour will illustrate how technology and BTF’s handcrafted tour design enable them to enhance the travel experience. The tour will feature local dishes, such as sweetened banana with coconut milk, taco-like ancient dessert filled with coconut cream, Chinese chive dumplings, beef soup and traditional Thai coffee or tea.
HiveSters Workshop: Nang Loeng, the culture amazing race program This workshop, led by HiveSters, will take participants to Nang Loeng. The route to Nang Loeng will explore how technology and sustainable tourism has helped bring back the disappearing community and culture of Nang Loeng. Participants will get to enjoy the century-old market and taste traditional food.
LocalAlike Workshop: Local Shade with Hidden Desserts Starting with the introduction of the nine Thai auspicious desserts, each with different meanings and ways of cooking. Explore the old town surrounded by ancient temples of over 100 years old such as Wat Prayurawongsawat, the royal temple. Learn about the local Thai lifestyle which is closely bound to temples. Every morning people would prepare food delicately and make merit by offering food to monks. After that, proceed to the Princess Mother Memorial Park or the locals call “Somdet Ya Park”. The Princess Mother also fell in love with the charm of Thai desserts. Thai-dessert making workshop with teachers from the School of Culinary Arts, Suan Dusit University.
Trawell Workshop: Food x Technology CITY PASS This workshop, led by Trawell, will explore Trawell’s core product: CITY PASS. CITY PASS is a self-guided tour application that aims to bring travelers from main attractions into those of SMEs and local communities in order to support local communities and local entrepreneurs in overcoming the challenges of displacement and gentrification. Participants will experience CITY PASS in action and be taken to hidden restaurants and shops in and around the old town that are all facing displacement by both the private and public sector. Participants will be divided into three groups, each exploring a separate area: Ghost door, Sam Phrang, and Banglamphu.
Keynote: Gastronomy Tourism: Linking sustainability, differentiation, and community
Dr. Ian Yeoman, Associate Professor, School of Management, University of Wellington, New Zealand
Session 5: The economic and social impact of gastronomy tourism: the effect in the whole value chain and the Sustainable Development Goals. This session will discuss the challenges that the gastronomy value chain has to tackle in order to preserve identity and authenticity in the face of globalization and digital transformation.
August 2018 updates: please find all the presentations of the 4th edition (pdf file)
Are you interested to know more?
Ask #STouW by Sara Vitali about:
#sustainabletourism consultancy,
#socialmedia strategies for tourism sector & linked sustainable, responsible, green or eco businesses;
#sustainabledevelopment through tourism.
https://sustainabletourismworld.com/sara-vitali-stw-founder/
Do you know Jordan? A country with dynamic development - 2014
In my opinion, it is much more enjoying and attractive to visit and even to stay in the countryside instead of the capital. Amman became a huge city, and we can say that it is now the main capital of all Middle East area. It is a hub for international organizations, diplomacy and business. It is also a city which swells with each refugees wave, every time the region is damaged by new troubles. The traffic chokes the town by its density and pollution, and Amman starts to experiment some social problems known in the western large cities. It is definitely more relaxing the go out and discover the traditional life of the villagers and desert dwellers, who always welcome you with large smiles and share with you what they have.
Isabelle Taillefert
3 words linked to biofuel: innovation, sustainable development & food - 2014
t is easy to understand where biofuel meets innovation, the more problematic is the link among biofuel, sustainable development and food.
As showed in this article biofuel reduces the carbon intensity of commercial flights and it can also reduce particulate matter emissions by 3 percent, addressing the growing problem of air pollution near airports and metropolitan areas.
The company claims that its farnesane, made from Brazilian sugarcane, can be up to 30 percent more efficient than other biofuels in terms of land use, with the potential for this efficiency to rise to 70 per cent when new technologies (such as sugar from cellulosic feedstocks) become commercially available.
The article reported other biofuels are produced:
Boeing, South African Airways (SAA) and SkyNRG announced a collaboration to develop a sustainable aviation fuel from a new type of tobacco plant.
British Airways and Solena Fuels’ GreenSky London project announced it is set to build the world’s first facility to convert landfill waste into jet fuel at the Thames Enterprise Park in Essex.
Read more http://bit.ly/1qO2VpQ
But can we talk about sustainable development while forget about ethical issues linked to biofuel?
According to European Commission definition there are two categories of biofuels:
Conventional (first generation) biofuels:
First generation or conventionally produced biofuels are biofuels produced from food crops, such as sugar, starch and vegetable oils. They are produced from land using feedstock which can also be used for food and feed.
Advanced (second and third generation) biofuels:
Second and third generation or advanced biofuels are produced from feedstock that do not compete directly with food and feed crops, such as wastes and agricultural residues (i.e. wheat straw, municipal waste), non-food crops (i.e. miscanthus and short rotation coppice) and algae.
It is our duty to keep research and use only the advanced biofuels, It is not possible to waste food, even if for a good reason, while other people are still suffering from hunger.
What’s your opinion about biofuel?I’d love to know it
let’s keep in touch 🙂
Sara
Info:European Commission: http://bit.ly/1pdq03O
The first recognized "Albergo Diffuso" abroad is in Spain - 2012
The new Italian way of offering hospitality, the Albergo Diffuso model, is becoming increasingly important, and other countries, such as Spain, could benefit from it.
A little ‘house, a little’ hotel: the innovative recipe of Italian hospitality debuted in the province of Salamanca.
A few houses and small hotels—this is, in short, the winning formula of the Albergo Diffuso, an innovative recipe for Italian tourist accommodation that is now being adopted in Spain. Albergo Diffuso is a new scenario for this tourism model, which the New York Times defined as a “simple but brilliant idea” to save Italian abandoned and depopulated historic towns and villages.
The Albergo Diffuso model, seen as a proposal of “sustainable” hospitality, can enhance the specificity of the Spanish territories and is emerging as a trend model capable of conquering the international stage.
After 14 years of its official debut, with the recognition by the Region of Sardinia, and after having convinced and recognized some 60 structures in Italy that have decided to use this formula to be proposed in the hospitality industry, the idea of the ‘hotel that doesn’t have to be built’ comes to the doors of Arribes del Duero Natural Park, an area renowned for its outstanding natural heritage and its excellent wines.
A bet on ‘the “Diffuse Hotel” is done by THE HACIENDAS, a chain of small 5-star hotels spread in the north-western province of Salamanca. His most famous hotel is Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel & Spa, an ancient convent of the Dominicans of Salamanca built over the River Tormes and set in an incomparable natural setting. In recent years, notably since 2009.
The haciendas have pursued a fruitful collaboration with the local governments of the ancient village of Ledesma, a few kilometres from Salamanca, to renovate empty spaces and abandon the town to send them to hospitality tourism.
The new hotel was supposed to open in June 2012. The distribution of the rooms in various village buildings has meant that the project promoters, such as local authorities, have referred to the new hotel as a “pueblo-hotel.”
The deep affinity between the new structure in Spain and the Italian model of Albergo Diffuso, the deep association between the original construction of the Spanish and the Italian model of hospitality led “THE HACIENDAS” to demand and to obtain recognition of Albergo Diffuso issued by ADI: Albergo Diffuso Association.
Spaces and services included in the project with the name of Albergo Diffuso Hacienda Zorita, are:
• Casa de Padua (of 1751): 12 villas and suites with private garden and terrace.
• The Wine Alhóndiga ceremonies and banquets. Opening soon
• Abascal House (circa the 1900s) 10 rooms. Opening soon
• Former barracks of the Guardia Civil: 30 rooms + suites and villas. Opening soon
• Gardens for cocktails.