‌🍃‌Festival of Sustainability 2023 Lineup‌🍃‌

[Quincy]

Hey everyone! 

We've officially kicked off our 2nd annual Festival of Sustainability to raise awareness and promote sustainable living. We are excited to host this festival and look forward to hearing your ideas and tips about creating a better world through sustainable practices. As a community, we invite everyone to join us in this journey. 

We encourage you to take some time to read and engage with the articles written by our community members. Share your thoughts, ideas, ask questions, and have discussions – by doing so, we can contribute to a larger conversation and build meaningful connections with those around us. Thank you for your support and participation in the Festival of Sustainability.

To keep things handy, we will be gathering all of the posts here, so you can have easy access and not miss any.

A great shoutout to our lovely Host Advisory Board members @Felicity11 and @Jennifer3225 for kicking off this year’s Festival of Sustainability! 🎉

Day 1:

• Living with bears by @Kitty-and-Creek0 
• Homemade laundry detergent by @Zoé27
• A highly sustainable home by @Erwin-Román0 

Day 2:

• Considering your packaging by @Felicity11 and @Jennifer3225
• Consider solar energy and renewable energy providers by @Felicity11 and @Jennifer3225
• Preserving nature by taking part in the beautiful forest operation by @Delphine348 
• Reflections on sustainability in my home by @Bridget130

Day 3:

• Unlocking your thermostat by @Felicity11 and @Jennifer3225
• Consider installing a rain barrel at your downspout by @Felicity11 and @Jennifer3225
• Clean energy incentives by @Airbnb 
• What do I do in my home to be sustainable by @Donatella26

Day 4:

• How can Airbnb Hosts gain a sustainable badge? by @Laurelle3 
• Homemade window cleaning recipe by @Maria-Rossella0
• I cleaned up the stream near my home by @Claudia331

Day 5:

• How I made house cleaning more sustainable by @Barbara664
• Hosts of a home called Earth by @Mauricio467
• Here's what sustainable means in my home by @Daniela1746 
• Implementing an ecological and sustainable project in our Community by @Key371 

Day 6:

• How cloths can rescue our stained towels by @Zoé27 
• Converting a 1950s warehouse into a home in a sustainable way by @Lina88 
• DIY multipurpose cleaner by @Sondra6 
• My journey making my Airbnb more sustainable and cost effective by @Leonardo798 

Day 7:

• Cooling Monster vs Methuselah by @Till-and-Jutta0 
• The survival of bees by @Dominique1233 
• A sky filled with stars, as can only be seen in the Sertão! by @Denise583

Day 8:

• Host Community Green Collage 2023 by @Catherine-Powell 

Find  Earth Day Meetups in your area by clicking here👈

Don’t worry if you didn’t get a chance to write an article or submit pics in this year's Festival!

Share your Earth day tips and “green” snaps here! 

Many thanks,

Quincy

[Daniel1651]

What a start to the festival! 💚

Thanks for such inspiring videos @Jennifer3225  and @Felicity11 !

We will be aware of all the publications because, as Felicity says, we don't  need hundreds hosts doing things perfectly, we need millions of hosts doing things imperfectly, offering more sustainable stays.

See you! 

[Jennifer3225]

Here you go sir! Enjoy the many nuggets of sustainable information.

https://globalnews.booking.com/download/31767dc7-3d6a-4108-9900-ab5d11e0a808/booking.com-sustainable...

[Felicity11]

Thanks @Jennifer3225  and @Daniel1651  there seems to be research from all over about the rise of the Sustainable guests.  

Here is an example from Tourism Australia with The future of Global Tourism demand  including the rise of the sustainable traveller.  https://www.tourism.australia.com/content/dam/digital/corporate/documents/future-of-demand/tourism-a...

This report also has some good insights into Sustainable travel https://go2.advertising.expedia.com/rs/185-EIA-216/images/April_2022-Sustainable-Travel-Study-PDF-No...

A lot of this article also lines up with Brians suggestions for the future airbnb guest. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Articles-lptdsVIzBIJ0-Impactful_decisions_for_sustainable_travel.html

I also find from talking to my guests who stay that they love the measures that we have taken to ensure guests can stay and know that we have done many things to lower the emissions when they stay with us.   - Many comment that they wish it was easier for them to find other places to stay like us.  - Don't take my work for it, look at what my guests wrote in my guest book when they left on Saturday  - Ironically Earth Day - they are repeat guests who want to stay with us again ! They are the perfect 5 star guests  who also pay a premium! I wish I could attract more of them to stay with us!   

"We'd love to be able to choose places that did this"

[Daniel1651]

Thank you for the extra information and for sharing the words of your guests, dear @Felicity11 👏

It also happens here (Canary Islands, Spain) where my guests are amazed at the measures we have adopted to reduce emissions:

We have installed solar panels that  allow us to be self-sufficient 💚

When guests arrive,  we give them some tips to use the electricity and get the most out of the solar installation.

At the end of their stay, we send them a report on how their consumption has been, thanking you for their collaboration to achieve the sustainability objectives.

As a host, I also would like to see Airbnb make it easier for guests to find these types of accommodations. Currently only the option to filter by EV charger appears, but what if more sustainability features were added?

What if there is a Sustainable category?

Definitely, we all want to take better care of the planet and contribute to sustainable development!

[Felicity11]

Hi @Daniel1651 

Great to hear from you and to hear more about the positive feedback you receive from your guests about the solar you have installed.

 I love that you can give your guests feedback on their consumption and they can feel they are a part of the positive change towards using renewable energy and having a more sustainable holiday.    

I would love to see Airbnb make it easier for guests to find sustainable accomodation.   As you say at the moment the only search filter is for a EV charger and only a very small percentage of homes have an EV charger while many more homes have solar power and offer a range of other sustainable features for guest to enjoy and help lower the emissions they create when they are on holiday.  It it currently very hard to connect the two up.

I would love to see Airbnb introduce a Sustainability Category or search feature!

[Daniel1651]

Hey @Felicity11  Let me share with you and with the community, the data that I send to my guests after their stay at home. 

Graphic shows the electricity  that solar panels produce (left column) and compare it with the consume (the right one).

I send the message with a phrase being grateful with guests because their responsable use of the electricity help us to achieve the green goals! 💚

[Felicity11]

Hi @Daniel1651 

Thank you for sharing this with us.  That is a great graphic showing guests the usage of the system.  I imagine for those who have not used solar it is interesting to see the usage and consumption chart. 

We do not have a battery so we try and maximise the power we produce during the day - some days it works out well other days - not so well.

Solar usage and consumptionSolar usage and consumption

[Laurelle3]

@Jennifer3225 it is worth reading the 15 pages and thank you for the link. They also are one of the holiday booking agents that have a leaf🍃 for sustainable accommodation. Maybe Airbnb should be in the running and give them some competition.

Some Airbnb hosts also use this platform.

 But for me I only use Airbnb as my linking accommodation agent as I have found that it provides me with enough bookings and I feel my cottage sells itself along with its reviews. However, a sustainable emblem will be helpful with people looking to participate in protecting our earth and environment  now and in the future.

[Jennifer3225]

Hi Laurelle

It would be a hope for a badge system for sure. There are many areas of Airbnb where a badge would work, be it diversity, inclusion, accessiblity.

So we are working hard to showcase the importance of sustainability. This festival and all the responses are helpful to identify the importance.

[Jennifer3225]

Hi  Quincy. The Canadians, and in Ontario, near the National Historic Site of Lock 45 in Port Severn, 30+ Hosts met up and learned about Sustainability, how travellers are looking for a stronger environmental presence, and are willing to pay more, and stay longer if the host has already made a commitment to sustainable practice. 

Anecdotally, when I started to increase my sustainable efforts in my Airbnb and started talking about it, and showcasing things like composting, and LED lights, and Rain Barrels and EV Chargers ( as a start) I saw a significant increase in my bookings and the length of stays. 

A video will come shortly but for now, here is what happened at our latest meet up here in Ontario.Statistics help to showcase the change in the sustainable travellerSustainable travel is important.And of course.. cookiesCanadian Swag for the clean upAt the Locks in Port SevernA little history of the lockLadies and Gentlemen... JeffGreat meet up kit and swag.YumGeorgian Bay BiosphereCanadian Swag

[Daniel1651]

@Jennifer3225 The statistics about sustainable travellers and tends are so important. Do you think you can share the link where we can have a look or read more about it?

Or we should wait for the video? 😉

Thanks and congrats for this amazing meet up!

P.S. I love cookies too!

[Jennifer3225]

Quincy

When will the earth day portal be open for all of our photos?  We are keen to upload. 

Jen

[Felicity11]

yes very keen to upload earth day photos and videos when we can.

[Nutth0]

Thank for all article from community.  On April 22 we do #airbnbearthday in Chiang​ Mai. in our belove Ping River​. Happy​ meet up​ everyone!

cleaning​ our belove Ping River​. Happy​ meet up​ everyone!