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Corporate Responsibility Report 2008 51 When choosing a trip and accommodation, as in all consumer decisions, it is not always easy to obtain all the information about how ecological and ethical the products are. to help consumers, there are various certificates and classifications, such as the energy efficiency classification for household appliances or the fair trade label for foodstuffs. aurinkomatkat-suntours' hotels have all been rated with a drop symbol that tells about the hotels' level of sustainable development. Choose a responsible hotel Drop classification tells about sustainable operations All of the 800 or so hotels used by Aurinkomatkat-Suntours in different parts of the world must, by agreement, go through a 35-point sustainable development check list. The maximum number of points is 100. The acceptable lower limit is 30 points, 40 points merits one water drop, 60 points two drops, and the best rating, three drops, is obtained with 80 points. "When determining the rating, we take into consideration ecological, financial and cultural sustainability factors. The main emphasis is on the environment, but we also assess a hotel's ownership relationships and status in the local community," says Aurinkomatkat-Suntours' Deputy Manager Director Tom Selänniemi. Aurinkomatkat divides the hotels it uses into three classes. The best hotels are deemed to apply the best sustainable tourism practices. In others, special attention is paid to environmental matters, and all of the hotels have at least the basic issues in order. "Hotels in local ownership benefit the local economy and more often than not employ local residents. That's why we often give these small-scale hotels a five-point bonus to help them reach the classification boundaries more easily. We ask hotels about their environmental programmes, possible environmental certificates or awards, and their personnel training. Each of them is worth one point," Selänniemi says. One point is awarded for sorting different types of waste, such as aluminium, glass and paper. Hotels receive additional points for composting and for the appropriate handling of hazardous waste. Saving water is very important in many travel destinations. That's why monitoring water consumption receives five points, while toilets and taps that use less water, and signs in rooms reminding people to save water, receive two points each. In addition, a hotel receives five points if it changes towels and sheets only at the customer's request. Finally, the sustainable tourism check list asks about community relations. If a hotel participates in local environmental protection, tells customers about the local traditions and nature, financially supports environmental protection and environmental education in schools, and employs mainly local residents, it receives still one more point for each of the aforementioned items. A I n terms of the environment of the travel destination, wastewater management is of prime importance. Thus a hotel which is connected to municipal wastewater management or which has its own treatment plant receives 15 points. In addition, a hotel receives five points if it uses treated wastewater for watering its gardens, for example. longside water management, energy management is environmentally one of the key factors in developing sustainable tourism. For energysaving actions, such as lamps and airconditioning systems that save energy, the hotel receives 10 Aurinkomatkat points and for the use of renewable energy resources a further 10 points. "Hot water, for example, is often heated by solar power," explains Selänniemi. Points are also accumulated by purchasing locally derived foodstuffs and products, whereby the hotel supports the local economy and avoids the need to transport products long distances. If environmentally friendly products, such as certified papers and chemicals as well as phosphatefree detergents are used, this reduces a hotel's ecological footprint and earns it additional points. One point each is awarded for use of organic and fair trade products. "Minimising use of chlorine in swimming pools and reducing the use of bleaches, pesticides and poisonous chemicals brings an additional point, as does the use of bio-degradable detergents," adds Selänniemi.
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