Sustainable Tourism

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At SkiBound we recognise our responsibility as a school tour operator and consider the environment, economy and cultures of our destinations of paramount importance. In fact the tourism industry and the ski resorts rely upon the destinations maintaining their biodiversity, cultures and economy! At Skibound we aim to minimise our negative impacts and enhance our destinations in the best way that we can.

Sustainability at Skibound
Over the last 6 months we have been working hard to develop our Responsible Tourism agenda and carried out a full Travelife audit on our Clubhotels in the French Alps. The Travelife audit has been created by tour operators and part-funded by the European Union. It introduces hotels to sustainability principles. Following the Travelife audit we now have a list of objectives to continue to improve our sustainable practice and aim for a gold award next year.

Consider your travel options
However you choose to travel, you can make decisions on how you reach your destination. There are options available to go by train and will use significantly less carbon, if you travel by Eurotunnel, than any other means. Interestingly, travelling by coach to Paris also uses less carbon than taking the plane or train.

Offsetting your carbon use
However you choose to travel, we recommend you use a carbon calculator to establish how much carbon you use. You can calculate this by using carbon calculators on line. We recommend climatecare.org to compare different forms of travel. Should you wish to offset your carbon, we recommend our partners Climate Care, a carbon consultancy who specialise in carbon off-setting.

LOtC – Quality Badge Award
We are very pleased to have been awarded the Quality Badge from the Council for  Learning Outside the Classroom. Part of the award recognises good practice in sustainability issues such as positive impacts upon local communities, the environment and good recycling practices.

SkiBound makes sure your SkiTour is really special. Protecting the environment and supporting the communities in the places you love to visit is one of our top priorities. This is why we’re helping our most popular hotels to achieve Travelife awards.

The awards mean our hotels are doing their bit to be more sustainable. Things like reducing the amount of energy and water they use, using locally produced  food, and making sure the people who work there have fair working conditions. The best performing hotels are the ones who get a bronze, silver or gold Travelife award. Look out for them in our website and brochure.

  Bronze is awarded to hotels that have reduced their impact on the environmental and treat their people fairly.

  Silver is given to hotels that meet all the bronze critieria and also play an active part in helping the local community and the environment.

  Gold is awarded to hotels that demonstrate advanced sustainability practises, seek continual improvements and actively communicate their progress.

SkiBound Responsible Tourism Code of Conduct

1. Reduce your waste: Leave any excess packaging at home; carry out what you carry in and dispose of any rubbish appropriately.

2. Minimise your impact on the mountain environment: If there are no bins on the piste, consider keeping your rubbish in your bag until you’re back at resort or at your hotel.

3. Consider your transport options: When travelling to your resort by Eurotunnel, ferry, train or plane, check out your carbon footprint using a carbon calculator on-line.

4. Read up before you go: Trip notes, guidebooks, Resort guides and internet. The more you know about the mountain, skiing and resort before you go, particularly the cultural aspects, the better you’ll slip into the stream of things when you arrive.

5. Spending locally: When choosing souvenirs, look out for locally made produce rather than imported goods. This ensures your money goes directly back into the community.

6. Learn the lingo: Even a few stumbling words in the local language will be appreciated and will help open doors to conversations and friendships.

7. Be aware of local customs: Any ski resort has its ‘norms’ and they may be very different to what you’re used to.
As a visitor, it is respectful to observe things. Guidebooks and internet are a good starting point to learn about what to expect.

8. Eat, sleep, drink local: If you are buying food or eating out, consider local produce and local restaurants where your money will provide a direct benefit to the local economy.