Module 7&8 Guesthouse and Lodging Management. Ecotourism Good Practices in Guest Houses Guesthouse and Lodging Management. Ecotourism Good Practices in Guest Houses ............................................................................................................... 1 1. Public space within the destination ............................................................... 3 1.1. Trash can and waste disposal ............................................................... 5 1.2. Green Areas in Public Space ............................................................... 6 1.3. Banks and resting spaces ..................................................................... 6 1.4. Parking lots for bikes ........................................................................... 7 1.5. Bus stations .......................................................................................... 8 1.6. Roads and pedestrian areas .................................................................. 8 1.7. Signposting and information boards .................................................... 9 2. Guest house outdoor space. Courtyard, gardens .......................................... 11 3. Quality of guest house space ....................................................................... 25 3.1. A good bed equals half of a perfect vacation .................................... 26 3.2. The bathroom - cleanliness and functionality .................................... 27 3.3. Living room – the “meeting” place in the guest house ...................... 28 4. All at the same table. What should we eat? ................................................. 29 5. The costs of our business ............................................................................. 31 1" 1. Public space within the destination THE PUBLIC SPACE AND THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE WELCOMES TOURISTS IN THE DESTINATION Sometimes, tourists have a different approach to the destination; they see things through different eyes. We should learn to think through their perspective while not forgetting that we want to preserve the environment and the specificity of our area. This will ensure the success of our business in the long-term. We have for sure noticed: tourists are interested in all forms of authenticity. Sometimes the fast changes in rural areas have lead in some cases to mistakes or unusual interventions in the public space. It is recommended to support education activities about nature and local culture appreciation among local communities. For instance, the cultural heritage of an area is part of the tourism resources of the destination. If the landscape has been damaged by aesthetic aggression (new buildings that do not fit with the traditional architecture), the effect could be irreversible. The Ecotourism Association from Romania has developed the first criteria for certification of eco-destinations. The certification criteria could be used as a general check-list for developing a destination in a sustainable way (www.eco-romania.ro, accessed at 2.11.2012). The criteria A.6, “Planning and construction of buildings and infrastructure” precisely describes the characteristics that will be not only sustainable but that will respond to tourists’ expectations and requirements. Sub-criteria 6.2 is very clear: “The exterior of buildings respects the traditional architecture and fits with the landscape of the destination”. Picture 1. Positive example of traditional Picture 2. Negative example of traditional houses houses Example of a negative intervention in the design and colour of a traditional house. Our field trip has showed that this kind of interventions could be found in Romania in a very aggressive way. In the region of Elena (Bulgaria) we have hardly found any civil buildings painted in strong colors. The buildings are in a traditional and harmonious style, and fit well with the landscape of the hills around the city. This kind of a landscape welcomes tourists. The guest houses in such an environment will have a competitive advantage as compared to other tourist destinations. 2" Yovcheva House in Elena, Bulgaria – its core value is that it is a traditional Revival house If the private propriety is not well preserved, then general condition of public space is affected. Things that are normal for us (the inhabitants of an area) are found to be disturbing to tourists. Sometimes, we do not observe what the destination lacks of, ”weaknesses” that should be improved. Try to look through the eyes of tourists and you will see that you will be disturbed by the time lost while trying to find a tourist attaction, the missing signs, waste disposal in the landscape and remains from construction works that have remained in the middle of the street. These are examples found by us in several areas which unfortunately spoil the beauty of nature and rural landscape. 3" Example of remains of construction works, polluting the public space Sometimes, the solutions are cheaper that we are expect. The best material that fits well with the landscape is wood and in most areas it is a relatively cheaper material. Figure 2. Waste management is a positive Figure 3. A positive example – wooden thing. But sometimes containers are “mask” built in order to hide the waste unwisely positioned, in central points, management containers. contributing to “visual” pollution of the landscape. According to Liliana Cazacu, an architect specialized in planning historic and cultural environments (Heritas Guidebook, 2010), public space should be functional, decent, corresponding to community’s and tourists’ needs. Banks, resting spaces and waste disposal containers should be present near pedestrian areas, in the front of the post office, the information center, wherever people will stop for a break. Parking places should not look like city-parking lots but they should be created and signed as simple as possible. 4" Except for rural furniture, you should also pay attention to green areas: the greenest the better but not with species that are not typical for your area. 1.1. Trash can and waste disposal Negative example of trash can. Positive example of waste disposal Plastic waste could look strange when Traditional materials or solutions are in disposed in natural and rural areas. Garbage harmony with nature while the costs for cans in strong colors look way too them are lower. aggressive in the environment. Some general rules (after Cazacu, 2010): • Identify the proper places and be sure that wild or domestic animals will not reach the contents; • Regularly clean trash cans; • Choose simple models with colors that fit with the landscape (avoid red, yellow; these items will be seen anyway so there is no need to use aggressive colors); • Use natural materials, avoid plastic. 1.2. Green Areas in Public Space The lack of vegetation makes the The green of the trees and vegetation brings landscape dry and with no life. more vitality to the space. The modernisation works should not affect the Ask a specialist about the species that existing vegetation. could be used and solutions for embellishing public space. 1.3. Banks and resting spaces People resting on a nice bank Negative example. A destroyed back Banks are simple elements that are useful Banks should be proper and repaired. A in the destination. Their presence in the destroyed bank could have an opposite effect: optimal places shows that we have shows negligence, indifference. anticipated the needs of tourists. It is a 5" form of hospitality, it gives the chance to rest if needed, to admire the landscape or just the take a break during a long walk through the village. Do not forget that less is more: use for public spaces not more than 3 models. Natural materials like wood are highly recommended. Wood bank Stone bank 1.4. Parking lots for bikes Picture with bikers Bike resting places Biking is one of the most favorite activities of ecotourists. Some of them will try to rent bikes in the area, others will arrive with their own. In some ecotourism destination there are travel agents specialised in offering biking tours. The destination should be well equipped with some basic infrastructure. The solutions are not necessary expensive. 1.5. Bus stations Positive example of a wood bus station Individual tourists tend to use bus transport in Plastic is intensively utilised as a order to get from one destination to another. A solution for resting places and bus bus station could be the first contact with the stations. The material is difficult to be village. Do not forget: the first impression is the replaced if is destroyed. In the case of most important one and…you will not have a wooden bus stations, it is much simpler second chance! to change a piece that is missing or to repair some parts. 6" 1.6. Roads and pedestrian areas Good practice: Stone road Good practice: Stone Road Pedestrian street It is no need to cover the entire surface with asphalt. We can use natural materials and make a pleasant mix. The vegetation or grass that remains near buildings provides for a nicer backdrop. 1.7. Signposting and information boards 7" The information boards for tourists should be made of wood. Handmade signs could bring a personal touch and are much nicer. If you use colors applied on wood you should check the quality of imprint periodically (it can vanished after rainy periods). We hope that the examples presented (Cazacu, Chasovschi:2010) will help you to improve the public landscape of your destination. Of course that it will be ideal to have a responsible tourism planner