Press release - 17 June 2020
Hotel Essenza achieves ambitious international sustainability label
Green Key - the most ambitious sustainability standard for tourism - recognises Hotel Essenza's efforts
A recognition of sustainable choices
Hotel Essenza is presented with the international sustainability label Green Key. This label recognises the efforts made by accommodation, attractions, restaurants and meeting venues in terms of sustainability.
Green Key is a programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and has a total of 3,200 sites in 65 countries. In Flanders, the programme is implemented by GoodPlanet Belgium with support from Tourism Flanders.
Green Key includes a very comprehensive list of criteria, making it by far the most ambitious standard. The label focuses on several areas: water and energy consumption, food, waste and staff and guest education.
Hotel Essenza achieved Green Key thanks to
Regional and organic products
For breakfast and dinner - local, fair and seasonal
Solar panels
For generating its own electricity
Sorting and waste policy
Far-reaching waste management throughout the hotel
Low Footprint @ Essenza
Minimum environmental impact as a guiding principle in every decision
Low footprint @ essenza
Environment as a priority
The environment is naturally high on Hotel Essenza's agenda: in all decisions on improvements or purchases, it carries the most weight.
“A hotel is generally a wasteful environment, but we have been able to break this trend by pleasantly engaging the guest and communicating a lot about how and why we want to be more environmentally friendly ... and it works. People from all over the world still warm to the idea that ‘their stay’ has a minimal impact on ‘our environment’.”
- Sven Peeters, Hotel Essenza
Flanders holiday country
Sustainable travel at home
Research by Tourism Flanders on Belgians' travel intentions shows that 1 in 3 wants to spend their holidays in their own country. 41 per cent even say they have started to appreciate their own region and surroundings again.
“You don't necessarily have to travel far and be on the road for a long time to enjoy a pleasurable holiday. Flanders has a lot of hidden gems. With their Green Key label, our 150 internationally recognised lodgings are putting Flanders in the international spotlight as a sustainable tourist destination.”
- Zuhal Demir, Flemish minister of tourism
About the partners
About Green Key
Green Key is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), coordinated in Flanders by GoodPlanet Belgium, with support from Tourism Flanders. Green Key has been showing the way to sustainable tourism, recreation or sustainable meeting spaces for 14 years.
About GoodPlanet
Since 1997, GoodPlanet Belgium has been inspiring young and old to realise a sustainable society, by taking positive actions and sharing expertise. Every year, its 80 employees thus reach more than 500,000 children, young people and adults all over Belgium.
About Tourism Flanders
Tourism Flanders contributes to the sustainable development of tourism in and to Flanders with a view to increasing economic returns, employment and well-being for the inhabitants of Flanders.
Durable stay at Hotel Essenza
Enjoy a comfortable stay with minimal environmental impact - in the heart of Klein-Brabant.