On 26 January 2017, 16 tourism establishments were awarded the Ecolabel, certifying them as eco-friendly accommodation.

Secretary of State for the Economy, Francine Closener, awarded these Ecolabel certificates to 16 establishments in the tourism sector, including five new ones, two of which are hotels and three are youth hostels.

Establishments are classified into one of three categories, namely 'gold', 'silver' or 'bronze', depending on the results obtained during the audit.

To achieve this, companies must meet nearly 80 criteria and implement concrete actions in areas as diverse as water, energy, waste, cleaning and procurement. This form of management allows an institution to meet environmental commitments but can also allow for savings to be made in terms of waste, water and electricity.

Following the presentation of the certificates, Francine Closener congratulated the managers of the establishments for their commitment to the climate and the environment, stating “I encourage companies to continue the path undertaken, helping to develop and promote quality eco-tourism in Luxembourg”.

The Ecolabel is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of the Economy and the Oekozenter Pafendall and received the support of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. The audit is based on an internationally-recognised catalogue of criteria which examine all areas with the capacity to have a detrimental impact on the environment. The Ecolabel is therefore particularly dependent on the supply of green energy; responsible waste management; the supply of organic, Fairtrade and regional food produce; ecological and rationed use of cleaning products; and the development of public transport.

The 16 newly certified establishments in the 3 categories are:

Hotels

  • Château d’Urspelt (gold)
  • Auberge du Relais Postal, Asselborn (gold)
  • Hôtel Meliá, Luxembourg (gold)
  • Domaine du Moulin d’Asselborn (silver)
  • Hôtel Ibis Esch Belval (silver)
  • Le Royal Hotels & Resorts, Luxembourg (bronze)
  • Hôtel-Restaurant Parmentier, Junglinster (bronze)
  • Hôtel-Restaurant Au Vieux Moulin, Lauterborn (bronze)

Campsites

  • Camping Woltzdal, Maulusmühle (gold)
  • Camping Bon Repos, Berdorf (silver)
  • Camping Schützwiese, Wasserbillig (bronze)

Accommodation and Group Houses

  • Gite à la ferme Aust, Bettel (gold)
  • Auberge de Jeunesse Vianden (silver)
  • Auberge de Jeunesse Remerschen (silver)
  • Gites Gleis-Bingen, Bettel (bronze)
  • Auberge de Jeunesse Larochette (bronze)

Tourist establishments looking to find out more information on the Ecolabel are able to do so by contacting the OekoZenter Pafendall via tel.: 43 90 30 44 or email: ecolabel@oeko.lu

Photo by MECO