ClimaHost – Alpine competition on climate protection policy for hotels and restaurants

The species-rich high mountain landscape of the Alps is one of the most popular holiday and leisure regions in Europe and the world. Tourism is therefore an important economic factor for the Alpine region. As the second largest energy consumer after manufacturing, the tourism sector also bears a special responsibility for the protection of climate and nature. During its chairmanship of the 2015/16 Alpine Convention, Germany started an initiative for increased climate protection and energy efficiency in hotels and restaurants, including the launch of the multilingual Internet platform www.alpine-energy.eu. Under Austria's chairmanship, the Climate Initiative was continued and the competition "ClimaHost - Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency in the Hotel and Catering Industry of the Alpine Region" was held for the first time. The award went to ambitious restaurateurs and hoteliers who have implemented exemplary climate protection policy measures and have thus contributed to sustainable tourism in the Alpine region. The aim was to make particularly good examples better known throughout the Alps and beyond.

From 1 June to 31 August 2018, all catering and hotel establishments with climate protection potential located in the Alpine Convention area (parts of Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland as well as Liechtenstein and Monaco) were able to apply on the platform www.climahost.eu. An international jury from the partner countries of the Alpine Convention evaluated and selected participating establishments in the "Gastronomy" and "Accommodation" categories. The deciding factors included innovative climate protection and energy efficiency measures as well as a coherent overall concept. The three best establishments in each category were given the chance to shoot a professional video where they were able to present their business and its climate protection measures. The nominees, the finalists and other outstanding companies were also presented on the competition website. The winners were announced and honoured at the 25th Alpine Conference in Innsbruck in April 2018.

adelphi held the competition together with the Austrian Energy Agency, with additional support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. The Alpine Convention is also supporting the project.