Eco-friendliness is a hot topic and for good reasons. So, how do you prove your vacation rental is one of the options to try in your area? You need to show your potential guests that you move with the times and focus on being environmentally friendly in everything you do.
By creating more eco-friendly vacation rentals, the tourism industry can make a huge positive impact. And it’s easier than you think.
1. Source Your Supplies
You can show you’re eco-conscious, simply by reevaluating your suppliers and service vendors. In an environmentally friendly zone, you’ll find less waste and more recyclable items. So, make sure you form part of the eco-friendly vacation rentals that do the same.
Pick better ways to provide guests with the basic essentials they expect in any holiday home:
- You should provide toiletries, but stop using single-use products wrapped in plastic. Purchase stylish glass containers and fill them when empty.
- Are you using plastic bags? Rather use biodegradable refuse bags.
- Provide the guests with fabric bags for shopping and encourage guests to reuse them during their stay.
- Your vacation rental management checklists should never be set in stone. Even if your current service delivery vendors work well, look for better options. For example, find another cleaning company that only uses environmentally friendly products.
2. Use the Help of Tech
Reduce your carbon footprint instantly by installing some technology and upgrading your rooms. Yes, it requires a small capital investment but when you see how a certain gadget reduces water usage or brings down utility costs, you’ll wish you did it sooner.
You can save water by using faucet aerators in the bathroom shower heads and kitchen taps.
When your focus is becoming energy efficient and even get off the grid, try this:
- In all your rooms, prevent unnecessary phantom power leakage by using smart tech that switches off appliances completely.
- Install solar panels as an alternative source of energy.
- Exchange standard light bulbs for LEDs and enjoy a lower energy bill.
- Install sensors that help regulate room temperature so HVAC systems don’t work too hard.
3. Reuse and Recycle — Much More is Possible than You Think
If you’re just setting up your eco-friendly vacation rentals, think twice before furnishing them. Instead of buying everything new, isn’t there a way to reuse furniture you own or ones you find at secondhand stores? Every time you rather reuse than buy new, you’re preventing unnecessary use of natural resources.
4. Optimize the Garden
The best eco-friendly vacation rentals use eco-conscious approaches in as many zones as possible. So, what about your garden?
You can give your guests a welcoming space to relax but also impress them by taking it one step further: save water by collecting rainwater and creating an easy irrigation system. Use this to water plants — flowers, fruits, and vegetables — in your own garden and give guests the freedom to use this local produce.
This experience doesn’t only group you with other impressive holiday homes but you also provide guests with an authentic experience and a home-like feel. That’s how you’ll get the 5-star rating and reviews about being one of the most nature-friendly vacation rentals around.
5. Guide Your Guests Towards Eco-Friendly Living
It’s not only about impressing guests with being environmentally conscious. You also have the privilege of helping guests live with a smaller carbon footprint so they realize they can do the same at home:
- Create a compost heap outside and ask guests to dispose of food waste there, rather than in a trash can.
- Encourage visitors to use public transport and provide them with all the options in the area. Show them how easy it is to change one’s ways.
- Ask guests to reuse towels to limit the amount of water required for washing. You can offer different cleaning fee rates based on how much work the guests require. Share your vision with them so they understand why you’re passionate about creating eco-friendly vacation rentals and you may inspire them to change their habits at home as well.
- Provide a water filter and reusable travel containers so guests don’t have to buy bottled water during their outings.
- Give your guests easy recycling options such as accessible bins for different recyclable waste: glass, plastic, and paper.
You’re helping yourself conserve water, power, and money but you’re also educating your guests in a new way of living.
Final Thoughts
You can see that the small steps in creating eco-friendly environments aren’t only about saving money or water. Your guidelines may have a ripple effect leading to more families choosing to limit their carbon footprint.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
