The ecological holiday

Strawberries from Austria instead of Spain, Fairtrade clothing instead of child labor and FSC wood instead of illegal tropical wood. - When shopping, criteria such as organic, fair and regional are a matter of course for many. But when it comes to the time-outs, the dreams of far-off lands and natural beauties, many of them throw all their good intentions over a pile. Since the ecological footprint with a single trip ever pretty quickly destroyed. After all, New Zealand is not so easy to travel without a plane. But what if it is to be different this time and a really ecological holiday?

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

The fact that the topic is of fundamental interest in society is shown by a study from our neighbor Germany. According to the travel analysis 2014 for 31 percent of the population, the ecological compatibility of holiday travel is important and 38 percent want to travel socially acceptable. And even the United Nations has taken up the issue this year and has made 2017 the International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development. But there is a discrepancy between the desire and the actual implementation, as the travel analysis shows. Again, the hurdles mentioned are the lack of information about corresponding offers. Often, there is a lack of networking of the necessary building blocks. If, for example, an ecologically oriented hotel is found, this will make it impossible or only possible to make public travel difficult.

As is so often the case in this case, the good is on our doorstep. Austria is predestined for an ecological vacation: Numerous national parks, lakes and mountains are just waiting to be explored by us. But how do you go on holiday as ecologically and environmentally compatible as possible and how do you find suitable holiday offers? I let an expert answer this question: Christian Baumgartner from response & ability. He founded respect (Institute for Integrative Tourism and Development), was Secretary General of Naturefriends International for many years and advises numerous advisory committees of NGOs, business associations and EU and UN organizations in the field of sustainable tourism. But the question is not that easy to answer: “Unfortunately, there is still no bundled information - for example, as a service group of Österreich Werbung. That means that in individual cases you have to read out a lot of information on the various websites or ask for it first, ”says Baumgartner.

2013 has already tried together with the WWF to change this and offered holiday offers to the natural beauties of Austria, such as the March-Thaya-Auen. However, for reasons of moderate demand, the cooperation was discontinued quite soon: "Although both Hofer Reisen and the WWF had assumed that these trips represent a niche offer and it would not be possible with mainstream travel deals such as beach holidays on the Mediterranean compete. Nevertheless, the actual booking situation remained below the expectations of Hofer Reisen, so that the cooperation on the ecologically oriented WWF travel by Hofer travel was not extended, "said WWF press officer Claudia Mohl.

Important from an environmental perspective: the journey

Traveling is particularly relevant from an environmental point of view: "The most ecologically serious impacts are due to climate change. Therefore, climate-friendly mobility is extremely important: Traveling by public transport (train, bus, ...) or make the same bike or hiking holiday. In the train restaurant, it is always more comfortable than in a traffic jam, "says Baumgartner. Many accommodations already offer pick-up services from the train stations, sometimes with electric vehicles. Partly you will find certified trips as complete packages of travel organizers that have been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel. It would also be possible to arrive by electric car. Suppliers such as Sixt or Europcar have e-vehicles on offer. According to the Federal Environment Agency, battery electric vehicles cause less greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle kilometer between 75 and 90 compared to conventionally operated diesel or gasoline cars. By comparison, in hybrid vehicles, there are about eight percent fewer emissions. For a renewable energy source, this advantage can be even more pronounced. Nitrogen oxide and dust emissions also result in significantly lower emissions.

Travel without your own car

Even for those who want to relinquish their own car during the journey, is now taken care of: "on soft mobility specialized destinations have joined forces to form the Alpine Pearls," said Baumgartner. Member locations in Austria are Hinterstoder, Mallnitz, Neukirchen am Großvenediger, Werfenweng and Weissensee. Criteria are the simple arrival and departure by bus and train including shuttle from the station, the rental of e-bikes and e-cars, hiking taxis and buses to reach hiking trails and ski resorts or car-free zones in all places. The mountaineering villages are also committed to sustainable alpine tourism and appeal especially to guests who want to reach the place without their own vehicle.
When selecting the holiday region, Baumgartner recommends "harmonious holiday destinations that offer nature and regionality - such as the Austrian national park or nature park regions." In addition to the mountaineering villages, for example, rural areas such as the Bregenzerwald, the Lesachtal, the Große Walsertal or the Waldviertel. "There are many examples." He advises against destinations that offer activities that pollute the environment, such as squad-driving or heli-skiing.

Authenticity instead of fake culture

In terms of accommodation, his tips are small, locally owned businesses - such as farm holidays or guesthouses. But also hotels that have been awarded the Austrian Eco-label for tourism businesses or the Biohotels Austria. In general, organic alone is no longer enough: "It's all about sustainability, including good working conditions and training opportunities for employees," says the expert. As far as local holiday activities are concerned, there are hiking or cycling tours as well as nature tours or authentic cultural events. "No fake culture just for the tourists, but real cultural experiences, authentic architecture."
If you want to round off the sustainable holiday even further, Baumgartner has a final tip: "If there is a farmer's shop in town: be sure to go shopping there - also for self-sufficiency (for example in a holiday apartment), not just for souvenirs."

TIPS
Ecolabel travel and hotels: The Austrian Ecolabel certified journeys by points system, taking into account the CO2 emissions caused per day of stay. Depending on the organizer, for example, travel in the passive hotel are offered. Individual hotels can also be certified by the eco-label.
www.umweltzeichen-reisen.at

Mountaineering villages: Sustainable alpine tourism has been written down by mountaineering villages. Small businesses enable environmentally friendly mobility and holidays without a car.
www.bergsteigerdoerfer.at

Bio-Hotels: In addition to the use of organic food and natural cosmetics, the Bio-Hotels rely on sustainability criteria (such as the use of green electricity or the use of recycled paper or from sustainable forestry, etc.)
www.biohotels.info

Alpine Pearls: Gentle mobility, even without a car, is offered by the Alpine Pearls. In Austria the regions Hinterstoder, Mallnitz, Neukirchen am Großvenediger, Werfenweng and Weissensee are included.
www.alpine-pearls.com

Wohnwagon: The self-sufficient living including bio-toilet, photovoltaic system, green wastewater treatment plant is also suitable for a holiday in between. The hotel service includes overnight stay including breakfast. Currently, caravans are set up in Traismauer and Gutenstein, and in autumn the locations change.
www.wohnwagon.at

Photo / Video: Shutterstock, Option.