Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Accommodation can also be one of the challenges for the traveller. On a
recent out-of-season tour of Italy we found accommodation was a major chal-
lenge. Many hotel owners were only interested in staying open for the main
tourist season even though our farmer clients had their facilities open to the
public. Food tourism allows hotels and other accommodation to extend the
season past the traditional accommodation period. However, this only works if
the hospitality providers work together with local food tourism organizations.
Ideally they want sustainable accommodation. Many of the culinary
tourists of today are looking for accommodation that minimizes the impact
on the environment. Sustainable friendly accommodation is often preferred.
Sustainable accommodation must usually meet the following criteria:
•
Dependence on the natural environment;
•
Ecological sustainability;
•
Proven contribution to conservation;
•
Provision of environmental training programmes;
•
Incorporation of cultural considerations;
•
Provision of an economic return to the local community; and
•
Sustainable kitchen.
According to research reported in the Guardian,
1
each UK family throws
away the equivalent of
24
meals a month, while according to research reported
in the Hospitality and Catering News in the UK
2
56% of consumers are pre-
pared to pay more for sustainable food.
The sustainable accommodation developer needs to think about the
following.
1.
Low energy input. The carbon footprint gets more important as each year
passes.
2.
Low water bills. Many countries are facing the challenge of changing the
current water management policy to help improve the health of water and to
conserve water.
3.
Low waste bills. It is estimated that 50% of food produced in the first world
is wasted. In the UK 20% is wasted in the food service industry.
3
4.
Improved labour productivity and value to the consumer.
Sustainable accommodation can cover anything from a hotel to a Mongolian-style
yurt on a camp site.
Accommodation can be split into a number of different segments for this
style of tourism.
Hotel Accommodation
There are plenty of examples of culinary hotels; hotels that promote the food
of the region as part of the offer. Culinary hotels differ from the standard
hotel in a number of ways:
•
They promote local foods from the region and tell the story of the local
foods as part of the guest experience;
