Antonio Llaguno, General Secretary of Environmental Policies of the Junta de Andalucía's Ministry of the Environmental, Antonio de María Ceballos, President of the Cadiz Hotel and Catering Federation, and Pedro Fábregas, General Manager of the Gas Natural Foundation, today inaugurated the seminar 'Environmental management of tourism companies and activities' in Cadiz.

 

The aim of the seminar, the eighth of a series run jointly by these institutions in Andalusia, was to explain the environmental problems arising in tourism companies in Spain, and to put forward operational solutions for savings and efficiency that reduce the environmental impact of energy used in this sector.

 

The managers of Hoteles Andaluces con Encanto, Fuerte Hoteles and of the paradores Hotel Atlántico and Arcos de la Frontera (Cadiz), presented their experience as practical examples of environmental management in tourism companies. These two latter Cadiz hotels are hold certification from ISO and the European Union's EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit Scheme).

 

Among participants was Fernando Martínez, President of the Andalusian Observatory on Environmental Sustainability, who presented data on the current environmental situation in the autonomous community included in the Third Report of Sustainability in Andalusia.

 

David R. Valero, Southern Area delegate of Gas Natural Soluciones, gave an overview on savings and energy efficiency in tourism activities; and Juan Alberto Aragón, Professor at the Universidad de Granada, analysed environmental management of sector activities and put forward several useful environmental management criteria for hotels and tourism companies.

 

Other speakers were Joaquín Villar, Head of the Department of Energy Savings and Efficiency of the Andalusian Energy Agency, and Leandro Sequeiros, Coordinator of the Directorate-General for Prevention and Environmental Quality, who offered information about economic subsidy packages and actions planned by the Junta de Andalucía to foster the environmental management of tourism activities. The closing address was given by Teófila Martínez, Mayor of Cadiz.

 

This specialist event was attended by over 200 professionals and associations active in the sector, tourist companies and tour operators, air conditioning, lighting and other energy services installers, consumers' associations, university staff and students and environmental organisations.

 

The seminar run by the Gas Natural Foundation and the Junta de Andalucía as part of a joint initiative in the search for sustainable development criteria for key sectors of the economy in Andalusia, raising social awareness of the environmental problems caused by man's actions, and suggesting some ways of solving them.