Four hotel units in the Algarve were awarded the “Green Key” award, which recognizes sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Conrad Algarve, Hilton Vilamoura, Vila Galé Albacora and Pine Cliffs Hotel were the hotels distinguished with the award.
“We are proud to see four hotel units in the region awarded for their good environmental and social practices. The Algarve is increasingly a nature tourism destination, so it is essential that public and private entities promote sustainable behavior that protects our natural resources, which are one of the region's most important attractions», considers Desidério Silva, president of the Region Tourism Board.
Promoted by the Foundation for Environmental Education and coordinated in Portugal by the Blue Flag Association of Europe, the «Green Key» program is an international award that promotes Sustainable Tourism, through the recognition of tourist and catering establishments that implement good environmental practices.
Among the factors valued for the delivery of the prize are the promotion of efficient management of natural resources, the recycling of waste, the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, the preference for food products from local and organic agriculture and the promotion of outdoor activities. For example, the hotels with the «Green Key» award promote among their tourists the use of bicycles to explore the surroundings.
The RTA states that «the Algarve has been assuming itself as a destination for nature tourism, with unique potential for the practice of cycle tourism, hiking, bird watching and equestrian tourism, among other outdoor activities. The region has three protected areas and 14 sites included in the Natura 2000 network, which enshrines its biological and landscape importance in European terms”.
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