The certificates were presented at a ceremony held in Opatija after the EU CrossBench – Benchmarking Project Conference for the Croatian and Slovenian hotel industries. The Sustainable Hotel Certificates were today presented to a total of 21 hotels in Croatia that applied for the UPUHH pilot project “Green Operations in the Hotel Industry” launched in the middle of last year.

This is the second generation of hotels to receive these certificates, as last year the first certificates for green operations went to the Hotel & Casa Valamar Sanfior 4* in Rabac and the Valamar Koralj 3* on the Island of Krk. All hotels had to meet the rigorous criteria for “green, sustainable hotels,” which include environmental protection and care for employees and the wider local community.

The certificates were preceded by systematic field work which encompassed the compilation of detailed reports on energy and water consumption, waste management (with specific measures to save resources and reduce the quantity of waste), and care for employees and the local community. The strategic objective of the project to confer these certificates is the introduction of green business practices, meaning the achievement of economic progress, care for the environment in the broadest possible sense and social inclusion in the wider community.

“Valamar Riviera accords considerable attention to its sustainable business, which include systematic environmental protection, rational use of resources, care for the well-being of our employees and the prosperity of the community in which we do business. All of our employees are involved in sustainability projects and they are very motivated and committed. So we are exceptionally proud that an industry association has recognized our efforts and granted this important certificate to five of Valamar’s hotels. We shall certainly continue the certification of our hotels and continue to invest in sustainable business,” said Oliver Brajković, the head of the Auditing and Standards Department in Valamar Riviera.