The fifth edition of FITURGREEN 2014, organized by the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and FITUR in collaboration with Grupo Habitat Futura, will highlight projects, tools and technologies that enable sustainable management throughout the tourism value chain.
On Wednesday 22 January, the CIAT Group will discuss the findings of the study conducted together with ITH on efficient air conditioning using heat recovery while Bosch Buderus and Jaga España will explain the importance of efficient climate control systems that contribute to indoor air quality in hotels. Lastly, Aqualogy, Grundfos España and Italsan will present technological advances that improve the efficiency of water management in hotels and explain how they contribute to reducing the consumption of this precious resource.
With a view to facilitating the implementation of these and other technologies for tourism enterprises, on Thursday 23 January representatives of the Spanish Climate Change Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAGRAMA), the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE), Dyrecto Consultores, Banco Sabadell and Grupo Santander will hold a roundtable on plans and funding for the refurbishment of hotels.
During the afternoon of the 23rd, the second meeting of “Green Hotel & Tourism Solutions” will be held, focusing on the technical possibilities offered by the most innovative renovation and construction methods, which will convert hotel buildings—both existing and newly constructed—into more sustainable and efficient spaces.
Designing the roadmap towards sustainable tourism
Finally, on Friday 24 January, advances in sustainability and energy management tools will be presented such as “Hotel Energy Solutions” of the UNWTO, the NEZEH (Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels) project developed with the support of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme of the European Union, and the Intelitur Platform of the Spanish Council of Chambers of Commerce.
In view of the challenges posed by sustainability, a representative of Schneider Electric will present a scenario in which technology redefines the design and development of cities, and the way in which its residents, visitors and tourists interact.
With a view to tackling the real-life challenges presented by technology and tourism demand with regard to sustainability, Travelife, Instituto del Turismo Responsable (ITR), Riu Hotels & Resorts, the City of Barcelona, and IHP (International Hospitality Projects) will make recommendations aimed at designing a “roadmap” for managing sustainability in tourism, based on the guidelines advocated in major environmental certifications worldwide.
The official opening will be carried out by Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Ana Larrañaga, Managing Director of FITUR, and Juan Molas, President of the Spanish Confederation of Tourist Hotels and Accommodation (CEHAT) and of the ITH.
