Work on the Implementation of the EU Eco-label Scheme in the Areas of Marketing Lot 8 Activities in Hungary Report October 2006 Vilma Eri, CES On behalf of the European Commission 1
FINAL REPORT on Activities in Hungary 1 st January - 11 October 2006 Activities 1. Initial contacts with Stakeholders Contact with the Hungarian Tourism Office, its Lake Balaton Regional Tourist Project Office, and Balatontourist Lpc. (owner of all Lake Balaton camp sites) was established. Information about the EU Flower and the project was provided to them. Both the Hungarian Tourism Office and the director of the Regional Project Office offered cooperation. They agreed that the Lake Balaton region is a good target region for the first acquisitions. A co-operation agreement was signed with the Hungarian Tourism office. As part of the agreement, the Hungarian Tourist Office is going to help in disseminating information on the EU Eco-label for tourist accommodation and camp-sites, gives contact information and offers to include certified tourist accommodations in its brochures, maps and other publications. As a first awareness raising activity, the agreement was to be announced on a press conference. (See section 3.) Cooperation with the Lake Balaton Regional Project Office was less successful as the director contacted in spring quit and new contacts with the new director were hindered by summer vacations. Regarding Balatontourist Lpc., the company is interested in the eco-label only if all campsites of their chain are willing to implement it. As campaign showed, this was not the case. 2. Assistance to the Pápa Thermal Camping After the first information package sent out to stakeholders (hotel and camp associations, Thermal Camping, Pápa (http://www.termalcamping.de/) called for further information on the EU Eco-label. This is a new campsite owned by a German company and equipped with up-to-date facilities and a dynamic manager, very interested in environmental issues. Detailed information has been sent to the manager, Mr. Gábor Hegyi including information on the application procedure, the requirements of the EU eco-label and the national eco-label, the application pack, and the verification forms. Assistance has been also offered to the application but it was not requested, as the application seemed to be simple. The campsite could easily meet the requirements and there were no language barriers in filling out the application form. (Though the application pack is available only in English but it can be filled out in Hungarian). The only issue the manager of the campsite raised was the fee. All necessary information was sent to him but after having discussed the issue of application once again with the owners, they pulled out due to the costs related to the eco-label use and the application. There withdrawal might be temporary and they might be contacted again next year. 2
3. Press Conference on the EU Eco-label for tourist accommodation services and campsites - 5 th July 2006 The press conference was organized together with the Hungarian Tourist Office at Hotel Budapest. The objective of the conference was to inform the media on the EU Eco-label, its requirement and benefit as well as the co-operation agreement between the Hungarian Tourist Board and the project (represented by the Center for Environmental Studies) to promote the EU Eco-label in Hungary. Participants' folders included a press release, the brochure prepared and printed by G&L, the Hungarian versions of the tourism and campsite factsheets (see attached) as well as a short summary of the experience of the Kolping Hotel (prepared by the director of the hotel), the first Hungarian eco-labelled hotel. The conference was attended by 25 journalists in addition to the representatives of the Hungarian CBs, the Hungarian Hotel Association, the Professional Association of Hungarian Campsites, the Association of Hungarian Youth Accommodation Services and the Pension Centre Association of Pensions. (Please, find attached an - incomplete - list of participants see annex resztvevok_ökocimke_sajttaj_20060705.xls). In his introductory, Dr. Gábor Galla, CEO of the Hungarian Tourist Office emphasized how important the clean and healthy environment is for the tourist industry and urged tourist accommodations to apply for the eco-label. Dr. Vilma Eri, contact person for Hungary informed the participants on the requirements and the benefits of the EU Eco-label. After the presentations, journalists asked several questions that were answered by Dr. Galla, Dr. Eri, and representatives of the national Competent Bodies. The representative of the Hungarian Hotel Association presented his doubts related to the EU Eco-label. He argued that some of the eco-label requirements (e.g. serving local food and avoiding individual packaging of jam, honey and butter) are in contradiction with the European hygienic requirement, and suggested that the Hungarian "Green Hotel" award issued by the Hungarian Hotel Association is good enough, therefore there is no need for a European Eco-label. In his response, Dr. Galla maintained that the Hungarian tourist industry does need the EU Eco-label because it is based on strict, unified criteria and signals both environmental excellence and high quality of service. The press conference was followed by 36 publications that transferred a positive image of the EU Eco-label. Doubts presented by the Hungarian Hotel Industry were not mentioned in the articles. (For a list, see Media Clippings Hungary sajto_megjelenesek.doc.) 4. Databases of tourist accommodations A database of tourist accommodation services in the Balaton region was received from the Regional Project Office (452 addresses). Most of these accommodations have been checked in order to select 40 accommodations that are in good conditions, are expected to be open to changes and can be interested in applying for the EU Eco-label. (See annex oko-cimke_prezentacio_meghivottak.doc) An additional database (see annex CIMLISTA3.doc) of 38 tourist accommodations outside of the Balaton region has been compiled. These hotels, campsites and pensions are either located in natural parks or are used by tourists that are interested in close-to-nature experience (e.g. tourists canoeing down the Tisza river.) 5. Information to selected tourist accommodations and camp-sites on the EU Eco-label On 15th August 40 letters to tourist accommodations in the Balaton region and 38 outside the region were sent out. The letter included a short summary on the EU Eco-label for tourist accommodations and campsites, their criteria and their benefits, and provided contact details to the national CB and the Center for Environmental Studies as sources of additional information. Addressees in the Balaton region were invited to the EU Eco-label seminar to be organised on 5 th September at Lake Balaton. The invitations have been followed up by phone calls to ensure acceptable participation at the seminar on the one hand and get feedback on the disseminated information on the other. 6. Consultation at Hotel Yacht Club, Siófok Hotel Yacht Club, Siófok was one of the tourist accommodations selected for the Balaton region database. Its director expressed her interest in the EU Eco-label. We used the short checklist to assess its potential to apply for the eco-label and provided detailed information on the criteria and the application process. An on-site visit was paid to the hotel on 19 August to go through all 3
criteria and check the hotel s preparedness for the EU Eco-label and provide information on the application process. The detailed survey showed that the hotel can possibly meet the compulsory criteria, there was only one issue to be checked, i.e. water flow from taps and showers. As the season was almost over, the owner/manager was to go on her holiday and she promised to check this after her return. The next follow-up call was in early October when she said that the water flow of the taps was OK, however, water flow from the showers had to be fixed but she had found a company to fix the shower and commissioned them to do it. Also, she wanted to check the documentation and the energy label of the air-conditioning system and the refrigerators to earn additional points for meeting additional optional criteria. Follow-up will be done soon. The pictures below show some energy efficient lights, announcement about the possibility for renting a bicycle and the bikes, the sensors for the automatic switching of in-door and out-door lights, water saving toilet flushing, liquid soap dispensers in bathrooms. (These pictures were taken to be used as illustrations for the 5 th September presentation.) 4
7. Presentation/seminar on the EU Eco-label for tourist accommodation services and campsites - 5 th September 2006 The seminar will be organized for Balaton tourist accommodations at Siófok, a large and accessible spa at Lake Balaton after the peak season to provide easy access and comfortable schedule. Despite the 40 invitees from whom several people promised to turn up when the written invitation was followed-up by a phone call, nobody turned up. The session room was set, information displayed, the buffet (drinks in re-usable bottles) prepared but nobody came. Pictures of the preparations: 8. On-site consultation at Pension Erika The visit took place on 18 September. At the Hotel Yacht Club, compulsory and optional criteria were examined one-by-one to check if they are or can be met. It turned out that by displaying notices and some minor, in-expensive improvements the pension would be able to meet the compulsory criteria and gather comfortably enough points from optional criteria. The owners also requested additional information about the fees. This information was sent by email the next day. Despite their visible enthusiasm, some days after the info on the fees was sent the owners said that they still hesitated and preferred to wait until next summer to see if the season would be successful and decide if they can assume the costs. 9. Follow-up of the dissemination of eco-label information. Mailing of eco-label information was followed up by phone calls. The register of acquisition activities, including phone and email contacts are documented in the following attachments: Contact protocol - Tourist accommodations in the Balaton region (see annex: balatoni hotelek_contact protocol.doc), and Contact protocol - Tourist accommodations outside the Balaton region (NP+Tisza_contact protocol.doc). 10. Participation in the Eco-tech Fair in Budapest with the CBs (10-13 October) Though planned, it turned out that the Ministry of the Environment will focus on waste disposal in its exhibition this year so the CB does not participate. Applicants No new applicants at the moment, one in prospect. Co-operation with Competent Body Co-operation with both the Ministry of Environment and the Hungarian Eco-Labelling Organisation is good. They participated in the press conference and contributed to its success. Budapest, 12 October 2006-10-13 Éri Vilma Center for Environmental Studies 5