Just a few hours from the busy city life, in Norway, there is a place where you can get deep into the forest and get down to earth. Ingeborg and Andreas welcome their guests to Hafsrød, a place where people and nature have lived alongside for centuries. Staying in the forest cabins and enjoying tailored nature-based experiences, guests can unwind and rediscover their connection with nature.

In this new Good Practice article, Green Key asked Ingeborg and Andreas, hosts of Hafsrød, how they are promoting nature-based tourism while supporting local businesses and re-educating guests to be in nature.

Are guests ready for nature-based tourism?

I&A: We noticed that many of our guests come from places where they do not have access to nature as easily as we can. Therefore, they most of the times lack the proper equipment to enjoy the natural activities Hafsrød offers. As we wanted to ensure the best experience to our guests, we started investigating how we could ensure a full experience to our guests, while keeping the carbon footprint as low as possible. During this process, we started thinking about another important element of the guests’ experience: the local stakeholders. We really wanted to promote the local activities and products, give something more to the area we inhabit.

As a result, we launched our "Nature kits".

What are “Nature kits” and how did you develop them?

I&A: We started off with a product called "The Forest Box", where the guest collects a box filled with local products for their breakfast and lunch, and a ready-made dinner, prepared by an excellent restaurant here in Halden, called Curtisen. This makes it possible for guest to get a complete meal without having to plan too much, while tasting local food and support the local economy. Later on, we thought to apply the same concept to the equipment needed to enjoy the local activities. This is how we created our “Nature kits” including fishing kit, hiking kit, picking kit (foraging) and stargazing kit.

Here at Hafsrød, guests get a taste of local products, and are given all the tools to experience nature at its best. The kits also include tips and tricks for the specific activity promoted. This is to ensure that guests try different things in a more confident and responsible way, as many of them are not costumed with nature-based activities. We are trying to ensure them a good experience, while protecting our natural heritage.

What results did you achieve?

I&A: Our “Forest Box” has been welcomed with very good feedback. Our guests like that they do not need to plan too much what to bring, or buy expensive products for a one-time activity. We have now launched the complete nature kits, and we expect that this will encourage people to re-connect with nature and try something new in an easy, low-cost, and low-impact way.

What next?

I&A: We want to continue supporting local business and address other areas of the tourist experience. We are thinking of expanding our offer to bikes or similar products that are of interest for our guests who want to experience nature responsibly and learn how to be more sustainable.

Top tips from Hafsrød

exchange as much as possible with your guests - see what their needs are and how they interact with the experience you are offering as a host;
unlock sustainability for your guests - as a host you know your territory and have the knowledge an possibility to limit the impact of your guests’ stay;
engage - collaboration with local stakeholders can enhance the value of the product you offer, while contributing to the positive impact of tourist activities;
have fun, be creative!

How did you like this good practice? Could you adapt it to the needs and circumstances of your establishments? We would love to see that!

Do you have your own brilliant Good Practice that you would like to share with the network? Click here to open the submission form. We look forward to hearing from you!

Many thanks to our Green Key certified Hafsrød for sharing their Good Practice with us!

The historical heritage of the original districts of an 8000-year-old city has an immensurable value, but the lack of green areas might turn into a significant issue for the community and any tourism establishment. How to face such a situation while fostering community engagement and local food production?

Get inspired by the story of Hotel No11 and discover how the Green Key certified hotel has taken action and successfully overcame that challenge creating additional value!

The issue:
lack of green areas

Local residents and tourists can experience the rich historical and cultural heritage of İstanbul, Türkiye, at every turn. However, escaping the urban infrastructure and accessing green public can be quite challenging. This is what used to be reported by the guests of Hotel No11, as the area around the accommodation did not offer many natural spots.

The issue was not beautifying the hotel spaces for its guests’ leisure, as the lack of green area is not a mere aesthetic issue, but a natural and social need. Well aware of these implications, the team of our Green Key-certified establishment came up with a more impactful alternative: transforming an unused hotel terrace into a community garden that could bring not only greenery to the hotel guests but also involve them in a sustainable initiative with local people.

“The initiative to transform the unused terrace space of Hotel No11 into a community garden was motivated by a desire to address the lack of green spaces in the area and to promote sustainability. The goals were multifaceted: to create a green oasis in the city, to engage the local community in sustainable practices, and to contribute to the hotel's sustainability goals by producing organic waste for composting and growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs for the hotel's breakfast buffet.”

From theory to practice:
engaging and upcycling

The project has been in progress for over four years now, during which the forgotten terrace evolved into a fully functioning community space and a garden with a seed bank for the Asmalı Mescit neighborhood. The first stage of the project involved cleaning up and transforming the abandoned terrace into a vibrant green space: second-hand gardening tools were acquired and old guest beds were creatively upcycled and converted into vegetable beds.

Residents and local businesses were also invited to join the initiative, promote sustainability and engage the community in environmentally friendly practices.

Creating social value:
community engagement and other benefits

And, the project turned out to be a great success. First of all, Hotel No11 managed to create a completely new green space for its guests and locals, which is particularly important for a historically dense urban area like this one. The Green Key certified hotel has also gained a garden where fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown for the breakfast buffet, whereas worm composting stations help manage the organic waste from the hotel and the neighborhood.

But those are not the only benefits of the transformed terrace. Dedicated to the permaculture principles, Hotel No11 hosts multiple gardening events for scholars, volunteers, and permaculture enthusiasts, during which the attendees can share and exchange seeds and fertilizers and learn more about sustainable waste management and food production.

Inspire:
ideas to be replicated

Hotel No11 is proud to share its successful model for community engagement through
shared gardening activities, composting, and seed sharing with the hospitality industry. With great benefits like self-grown organic fruits and vegetables and the reduction of organic waste through composting, the hotel believes that this is a great way to maximise any hotel’s sustainability efforts. Additionally, the seed bank contributes to the preservation and sharing of plant biodiversity within the community, while open activities for hotel guests, neighbours, children, students, and volunteers, raise awareness of permaculture and sustainable living practices, including composting, gardening, rainwater harvesting, and waste
management.

Top tips from Hotel No11:

Identify underutilized spaces (rooftops, terraces, or courtyards).
Assess available resources and space for suitability and potential impact
Engage with local communities, organisations, and experts in permaculture and sustainable gardening to gather support and expertise.
Utilise upcycled materials and sustainable practices to minimise environmental impact and promote circular economy principles.
Implement a phased approach to development, starting with small, manageable sections and expanding based on success and engagement.

How did you like this project idea? Could you adapt it to the needs and circumstances of your establishments? We would love to see that!

Do have you your own brilliant Good Practice that you would like to share with the world? Click here to open the submission form. We look forward to hearing from you!

Many thanks to our Green Key certified Hotel No11 from İstanbul, Türkiye, for sharing their Good Practice with us!