World Sustainability Day 2024: Best practices for vacation rentals by Smoobu and Nature House

For this World Sustainability Day 2024, we’re reminded of the important role the tourism and vacation rental industry plays in promoting eco-friendly practices and preserving our planet’s natural beauty. Our industry can drive significant change and, we can build a more sustainable future with every booking and every conscientious decision. From property owners to travelers, the decisions we make contribute to the health of our ecosystems and help create a greener world for generations to come.

In celebration of this vision, Smoobu is excited to further our collaboration with Nature House, a vacation rental platform dedicated exclusively to nature-focused stays. Nature House is committed to preserving biodiversity by donating a portion of its revenue to support projects that restore local habitats. Together, we’re making sustainable travel easier and more accessible than ever before. Through this partnership, we aim to provide property owners with the tools and resources needed to operate responsibly, while encouraging guests to embrace the beauty of nature and travel with a purpose.

At Smoobu, we’re committed to helping vacation rental hosts embrace sustainable practices, from reducing waste to conserving energy. As the only channel manager integrated with Nature House, we’re thrilled to support this initiative by helping hosts connect with like-minded, eco-conscious travelers who value sustainability as much as they do. For us, sustainable tourism is more than a trend; it’s a responsibility. We are proud to empower hosts to make impactful, positive changes one stay at a time.

Nature House and Sustainability within the Vacation Rental Industry

For more insight into this endeavor, we spoke with Florian Castor, Head of Sales at Nature House, about their commitment to biodiversity, the unique experiences they offer, and the steps property owners can take to support sustainable travel. Join us on this journey as we celebrate World Sustainability Day and explore how we can build a future where travel and sustainability coexist in harmony.

Hello, Florian. We have been experiencing exciting changes in the vacation rental model for a few years now. As someone who has been involved in it for a while, can you tell us about Nature House’s core mission and how sustainability plays a role in your business model?

It is our mission to protect local biodiversity by inviting people to enjoy nature. We do this by donating 3.5% of our commission revenue to nature organizations that initiate projects that protect and restore local biodiversity. Examples include sowing flowers, planting hedges, and creating water pools. By 2025, we will increase this percentage to 5% to accelerate our impact on local biodiversity.

What inspired Nature House to focus on nature-based vacation rentals?

It all started 15 years ago when the Nature House founders, brothers Tim and Luuk van Oerle, were looking for a holiday home in nature in Spain to go bird-watching from there. At that time, there was no website offering only nature-based vacation rentals, and so the idea of starting Nature House was born.

We’ve noticed that sustainable tourism is becoming more widely known by travelers. What sets Nature House apart from other vacation rental platforms in the nature-focused space?

The concept of a nature house is very important to us and we do not deviate from it. In addition, nature is really in our DNA and an inspiration in all aspects of our business. We ask our guests to give a nature review, we work with leaves as a “rating,” and we donate substantial amounts to nature organizations. And so on and so forth. We are constantly working to see where we can keep integrating the natural experience into each step of the customer journey.

What specific sustainable practices does Nature House implement across its properties?

We do not own the properties ourselves, we are an intermediary platform that connects the right guest with the right properties. That means we don’t implement anything ourselves. However, we do try to motivate the property owners to make sustainable choices. With that in mind, we started an impact label earlier this year. We ask all owners to fill out a list of questions about the sustainability of their properties. This results in a score and gives the owner insights into how they can make their property more sustainable.

In Germany specifically, we started a pilot this year to work with Immerbunt to sow 25,000m2 gardens of nature house owners with wildflowers that specifically enable pollinators to thrive. Guests can visit a nature house and directly see the impact their booking has and owners are helped in their sustainability practices on their properties. We are very pleased with the results of this and want to roll this out further in the coming years. Next year we will also start this in the Netherlands.

How do you select and work with property owners to ensure that sustainability standards are met?

At this point, we are not setting any specific requirements. A rental property needs to fit within our concept and be located in nature or have direct access to it from the edge of the village; not located on a large holiday park and deliver the feeling of being away from the crowds. Besides this, all properties that fit are welcome and we strive to positively inspire sustainability practices.

We share that vision as well! Do you partner with any environmental organizations or local communities to promote sustainability in your properties? If so, how?

We are working with Immerbunt in Germany to help make nature house gardens more biodiversity-friendly. We will continue to expand this type of partnership in the future and look for other ways in which we can support our landlords.

For us at Smoobu, we help our hosts to offer the best guest experience possible. What kind of unique, eco-friendly experiences can guests expect while staying at a Nature House property?

It’s very different for each property. You can rent a treehouse that has an animal shelter incorporated into their property or a fully self-sufficient off-grid set of eco-houses with a communal garden for everyone to use. You also have regular properties that are located in the countryside or simple cabins with a spartan interior. We always say nature houses are available in all shapes and sizes and the services differ greatly depending on the hosts that make it all possible.

In terms of sustainability, what advice would you give to other vacation rental hosts or property owners looking to implement eco-friendly practices?

Try to make incremental sustainability changes in and around your property. You can start small and low-cost by replacing plastic materials with glass or porcelain. By replacing stones in the yard and driveway with grass, flowers, and trees.

Another important element is water. You can install water-friendly toilets and showers. Create a small pond in the garden. Collect rain with a rain barrel that you can use to water your garden during dry weather in the summer. Do not use chemicals when cleaning your property or maintaining your garden.

Finally, there is value in making your property more sustainable by properly insulating and heating with renewable energy.

Can you share any upcoming projects or initiatives that Nature House is particularly excited about?

We look forward to the further rollout of making nature house gardens more biodiversity-friendly in collaboration with our nature partners.

In addition, we will start a baseline measurement of our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by the end of this year. In this way, we will gain insight into the CO₂ emissions for which we as a company are both indirectly and directly responsible and we can make plans to structurally reduce these emissions in the future.

For World Sustainability Day 2024, how will the Smoobu and Nature House partnership contribute to raising awareness about sustainable travel practices among vacation rental hosts and guests?

Every step counts, however small it is. At the core of sustainable practices is the idea to use our resources carefully. In general, we love using one of our favorite quotes: “Those who plant trees, knowing that only others will enjoy the shade, are public benefactors.” For guests, we invite people to enjoy nature and we believe people protect what they love. We advise you to leave a place better than you found it, even if it is simply to pick up a piece of trash on your walk.

In what ways can property owners who use both Smoobu and Nature House improve their eco-friendly practices through the tools and resources provided by this partnership?

Property owners that receive bookings from us automatically create an impact on local biodiversity and we keep them up to date about our initiatives and provide inspiration. It is our very segmented nature-loving target audience that leads to a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. Property owners receive guests who value their property and do not expect urban facilities and services but like to enjoy the peace and quiet. Together, we form a community that loves and cares for nature.

In honor of World Sustainability Day, what message would you like to share with travelers who want to make a positive impact on the environment through their vacation choices?

Try to travel in a sustainable way as much as possible. Use public transportation, a bicycle, or an electric car to do so. When booking accommodation, look for it to be small-scale as much as possible and try to find out what the property is doing in terms of sustainability. At your destination, try to distribute your spending amongst the local population. If possible, try to avoid global brands and use local service providers.

Build a better future with Smoobu

As we honor World Sustainability Day, it’s clear that every small action toward eco-friendly travel makes a difference. Smoobu remains committed to empowering property owners to embrace greener practices through innovative tools that simplify vacation rental management. Our partnership with Nature House reinforces our joint vision: to make sustainable tourism accessible for everyone.

Are you a property owner looking to make a positive environmental impact? You can register your property with Nature House to attract guests who cherish nature while using Smoobu’s powerful software to manage bookings and streamline operations efficiently. Let’s work together to build a sustainable tourism industry that respects and preserves our natural world.

Ready to take the next step? Register your property today and join the movement or reach out to the respective sales department:

• Netherlands / Belgium: Natuurhuisje / [email protected]
• Germany / Austria / Switzerland: Naturhäuschen / [email protected]
• France: Maison Nature / [email protected]
• Italy: Casa nella Natura / [email protected]
• All other markets:  Nature House / [email protected]

For questions on how Smoobu and Nature House can help you improve your property’s eco-friendly practices and reach a nature-loving audience, feel free to reach out. Let’s shape a sustainable future for hospitality together!

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