Responsible initiatives carried out by the Principality are also highlighted during the Festuris 2021 event in Gramado
A destination known worldwide for the quality of its hotels, the refined cuisine and the numerous events that mark its calendar, Monaco has also become a reference in sustainable tourism by reinventing itself based on ecological and social values.
For decades, the Principality has had environmental protection as an issue of central importance and is committed to conserving the oceans and reducing the impacts of climate change. With the unconditional support of the Prince Albert II Foundation of Monaco, the country is implementing a series of actions in favor of sustainable development.
The most recent is the release of the document “White Paper” on Sustainable Tourism in Monaco, which is in line with the debates promoted since the beginning of this week at the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland. .
The “White Paper” began in 2020 at a time when the tourism sector, affected by the global health and sanitary crisis, is becoming aware of its responsibilities and the need to rethink its models. The document is available in English for download at the link White Paper on Sustainable Tourism in the Principality of Monaco .
The document brings a better understanding of the current tourist scenario in Monaco, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and is inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Energy Transition goals established by the Principality. By 2030, Monaco aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Discover some of the sustainable tourism initiatives already carried out by the Principality of Monaco:
– Monaco has 390 electric bicycles available to visitors and residents; a 100% electric car-sharing service and a solar-powered bus fleet.
– More than 2.000 hotel rooms hold the sustainability performance certificate Green Globe, which corresponds to 88% of Monaco's hotel capacity. The Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, for example, is a model of responsible management. The venture has a 400 square meter vegetable garden maintained by the startup Terrae and which provides organic fruits and vegetables, and has 1.000 square meters of solar panels in its structure.
– Restaurants in the Principality promote a responsible approach and include initiatives such as the “Conscious Restaurant”, which aims to reduce and combat food waste, and the “Mr Goodfish” label, a program that aims to raise public awareness of sustainable seafood consumption. The Elsa restaurant, inside the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel, is the first 100% organic restaurant in the world to receive 1 star from the Michelin Guide.
– Around 20% of the entire territory of Monaco (2,2 km²) is made up of green spaces. There are more than 900 preserved historic trees.
– The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco has been conducting scientific research and has been committed to raising public awareness of the importance of preserving the oceans and marine life for over a century. The museum also houses a rehabilitation clinic for rescued sea turtles.
– The Whale Watching Monaco tour takes tourists on a sustainable journey with maritime excursions to discover marine mammals (whales and dolphins) in the sanctuary of Pelagos, a protected area on the coast of the French Riviera in the Mediterranean. About 5% of the value of each tour sold goes towards protecting the sanctuary.
– Since January 2020, plates, cutlery and disposable plastic cups are banned in the Principality. This measure follows the practices already implemented, such as the end of the use of plastic bags and disposable straws in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Monaco's goal is to completely abolish the use of plastic by 2030.
Professionals in the Brazilian tourism sector can learn more about sustainable and responsible tourism in Monaco at Espaço Luxury, at Festuris 2021, in Gramado. Until next Saturday, November 6th, Visit Monaco, Monaco's Tourism Office in Brazil, reveals all the diversity of the principality's tourist offer, a destination that is prepared to receive visitors from Brazil safely and peacefully again. Everyone who passes through Monaco's Luxury space will win a custom face mask.