Published 22. October 2019.
Valamar Riviera introduces the largest green initiative of its kind in Croatian tourism named "1,000 Valamar Trees". As part of the initiative, Valamar will plant a minimum of one thousand new trees a year in its destinations along the Adriatic coast. Valamar wants to emphasize the importance of sustainable tourism development and environmental care for creating new value and long-term quality in Croatian tourism.
More than a thousand trees and over 50,000 different seedlings such as tall shrubs and perennials will be planted in Valamar hotels, resorts, and campsites in 2019. In the future, Valamar intends to plant at least 1,000 trees a year and will continue to support the protection and restoration of autochthonous plant species in its destinations. In addition to planting new trees and plants, Valamar also systematically cares for the health of its existing vegetation, which includes over 30,000 trees on a total area of 589 ha from Istria to Dubrovnik.
“As a leader in Croatian tourism, we make a direct contribution to the preservation of the environment we work and live in with this initiative. We have a responsibility to create new value in a way that will preserve and develop our highly valuable natural resources for future generations. Last year, we invested about HRK 22 million in Green Valamar, of which almost HRK 7 million was spent on horticulture alone. I am also pleased that our employees are happy to be involved in our tree planting actions,” said Ivana Budin Arhanić, Vice President for Business Development and Corporate Affairs at Valamar Riviera.
The "1,000 Valamar Trees" initiative furthers the development of the Green Valamar Corporate Social Responsibility program, in which Valamar has been systematically implementing environmental activities for years. Valamar uses 100% green electricity from renewable sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 65% between 2015 and 2019. Over the past six years, Valamar has also installed 5,200 square meters of solar panels. Valamar has also completely discarded plastic straws from use in its hotels and camps since last year.
Valamar strives to raise environmental awareness of its guests, staff and the wider community, which includes clean up activities regarding the Adriatic Sea and coast, in which numerous sports associations participate every year. An ISO14001 environmental management system was introduced in all Valamar facilities, and 75% of the accommodation units in hotels and resorts also have the Travelife certificate, which confirms Valamar's sustainable business to the highest international standards. As many as six Valamar campsites have been awarded the prestigious EU Ecolabel certificate this year, making them one of the most sustainable tourist resorts in Europe.