SUSTAINABILITY FOR TOURISM & HOSPITALITY

I started my career working on leading global event, World Travel Market, running their special events. Years later when I set up as a marketing freelancer, WTM was one of my first clients! I set up some new travel experience awards for them.

Eco holiday rental owner

I then found myself in the tourism industry as a vacation rental property owner when my husband and I moved to Italy in 2017. From the outset, I wanted to run our holiday apartment as an example of sustainable hospitality, following my own ethical principles. We are lucky that our villa was rebuilt using the existing stone but to the highest eco standards. We also strive to make the experience the most comfortable, healthy and authentic. We use only organic cleaning products and our guests enjoy organic bathroom products and swimming in our chlorine-free pool. This gives guest the optimum stay but also saves us money. Better for people and planet and also our pocket. 

Of course, I've been able to use my own marketing expertise as well as my knowledge of sustainable hospitality to promote our property as a conscious luxury experience.

We have a Green Tourism Gold award and were shortlisted in the last six in the global 2022 Shortyz Awards in the Sustainability category. We are part of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency and I have published our Climate Action Plan. In 2023 we gained a Sustonica badge specifically for a vacation rental property.

See what we are doing at Villa in the Vineyard.

Industry sustainability advocate

I take every opportunity to talk about the opportunities for other accommodation providers who decide to start on their sustainability journey. To me it is a no-brainer that we must protect and respect the destinations we are promoting.

I have taken part in a number of online events focused on sustainability:

How to tackle the climate emergency while encouraging travel hosted by Touch Stay 

COP26 preview hosted by Short Term Rentalz and also co-wrote an article for Earth Day for them.

I also hosted and appeared in a number of webinars for sustainable tourism organisation, Wayaj, as well as providing hotel marketing expertise. You can see the webinars here

I was one of the first speakers on new podcast The Green Path.

I was interviewed for the Climate Friendly Travel podcast run by The SUNx Program.

I was one of the online speakers for the Book Direct Show in Miami in October 2022, speaking about "greening up your property"

I regularly interview inspirational sustainability leaders for my blog  such as Christopher Grime of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Read the interview here

I was one of the speakers at Scale Rentals in Barcelona in May 2023 and shared advice on identifying your brand purpose and communicating it authentically.

I was one of 4 sustainability experts behind the content of  the new SCALE Green conference in London in April 2024. This was a world-first for the short-term rental industry and I developed the content for the digital delegate guide and the Action Plan booklet as well as sourcing eco pens and seeded paper badges.

Head of Marketing

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Bob Garner on the launch of a new resource for vacation rental owners called EnviroRental. I have developed the Sustainability Roadmap with simple advice and tools.   

I also write the more technical copy and oversee content marketing. I am also involved in managing overall marketing strategy.

Sustainability Marketing Specialist for QALIA

I was delighted to work with Marc Ribail on the marketing strategy for this responsible tourism standard for conscious luxury in the vacation rental sector. I continue to work with him, offering conscious communication expertise to his certified members.
 

I am highly motivated to create change within this sector of tourism, which will have an exponential impact within the short-term rental industry. So many industries are being led into sustainability by their luxury brands and QALIA members have the opportunity to be those trailblazers.

Content Writer for Sustonica

As well as being the holder of a Sustonica badge for Villa in the Vineyard, I also write the Insight articles working with founder, Vanessa de Souza Lage. In addition, I have developed some specific marketing packages for property managers who are partnered with Sustonica.

When I moved on from live events, I worked in the fashion industry before joining my husband to run his landscaping business. Alongside this, I worked with corporates to offer them breast health education and worked with a number of campaigning organisations such as Fashion Revolution and prevention charity, Breast Cancer UK. I have also run the marketing for an organic and household brand, Greenscents, for nearly 4 years. 

In 2020/21 I freelanced as a sustainabilty hotel marketing specialist for sustainable hospitality company, Wayaj.  I was involved in the development, branding and launch of their new OTA, Alight, which enables travellers to choose the most sustainable properties and offset their carbon footprint. Wayaj offers support to its hotel members so that they can become their best sustainable self and I also managed the content for this narrative.

This broad experience means that I have seen the best sustainable solutions in a number of different industries. I can share this knowledge and best practice with you.

You can find out more about me here.