The initiative will also assist visitors in consuming energy and water responsibly
Guesthouses in Malta will have the opportunity to receive assistance to become more efficient in the water and energy consumption of their operations.
The Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise, Miriam Dalli, announced this Energy and Water Agency (EWA) initiative during a visit to a guesthouse in Gudja, on Tuesday morning.
The GUEST initiative – Guesthouse Owners and Users Embarking on a Sustainable Transition – focuses on small hotels such as boutique hotels and guesthouses, whose composition calls for a different approach to that of larger accommodation establishments. Through this initiative, the agency will offer energy and water audits to these guesthouses, along with recommendations to become more sustainable. Therefore, EWA is providing technical assistance to these guesthouses, which often do not have the necessary in-house expertise in this regard.
The scheme is based on the recommendations proposed during consultation meetings with the operators of these small hotels. During these consultations, it became clear that even though there is a will to reduce energy and water consumption, efforts in this direction are often thwarted by the actions of guests staying in these establishments, who do not always know how to adopt sustainable practices during their stay. Therefore, the agency will be giving welcome packs to guests of these small hotels with items that can be used during their stay, including messages on how to use energy and water efficiently. This will also serve as a reminder that everyone, even hotel guests, has a role to play in efforts towards sustainability.
Minister Miriam Dalli highlighted the importance of sustainability in this industry and in all other economic sectors. “Through this initiative, we are supporting the efficient use of two very important resources, energy and water. I meet several businesses that are looking for technical assistance to become more sustainable. Through EWA’s initiative, together with other initiatives such as Malta Enterprise’s Smart and Sustainable scheme, we are ensuring that even though most Maltese businesses are SMEs, they can still strive for more efficient and sustainable technologies and operations,” said Minister Dalli.
EWA CEO Manuel Sapiano said that this free scheme is not only giving technical advice to the operators of these small hotels but is also working to gradually create a culture change for hotel guests, as they have a substantial impact on the energy and water consumption of these businesses. He added that EWA will use the knowledge and experience gained from the GUEST project to create best practices that can guide other operators in this sector.
Amy Talbot, the owner of the boutique bed and breakfast Talbot and Bons in Gudja, pointed out that it was easy to apply to take part in the GUEST initiative. She noted how the support her business received to take part in this scheme, as well as the visits of EWA’s energy and water audit officers, were crucial to strengthening their commitment towards more sustainable and efficient operations.
More information about GUEST and how small hotels can apply for this initiative is available at energywateragency.gov.mt/guest.
GUEST – Għajnuna għal-lukandi żgħar biex joperaw b’mod aktar sostenibbli
Inizjattiva li tgħin ukoll biex il-viżitaturi f’dawn il-lukandi jużaw l-enerġija u l-ilma b’mod responsabbli
Lukandi żgħar li joperaw f’pajjiżna se jkollhom iċ-ċans jibbenefikaw minn għajnuna biex isiru aktar effiċjenti fl-użu tal-enerġija u l-ilma, fl-operat tagħhom.
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli ħabbret din l-inizjattiva ġdida tal-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma (EWA) waqt żjara f’lukanda żgħira (guesthouse) fil-Gudja, it-Tlieta filgħodu.
L-iskema GUEST – Guesthouse owners and Users Embarking on a Sustainable Transition – tiffoka fuq lukandi żgħar bħal boutique hotels u guesthouses, sabiex tingħata attenzjoni lil dawn it-tip ta’ akkomodazzjonijiet li l-kompożizzjoni tagħhom hija differenti minn tipi oħra ta’ akkomodazzjoni akbar. B’din l-inizjattiva, l-aġenzija se toffri audits tal-enerġija u l-ilma lil dawn in-negozji żgħar tal-akkomodazzjoni, b’rakkomandazzjonijiet biex isiru aktar ambjentalment sostenibbli. B’hekk, l-EWA qed tagħti assistenza teknika lil dawn il-lukandi żgħar, li ħafna drabi ma jkollhomx ħaddiema speċifiċi b’dawn il-kompetenzi minħabba ċ-ċokon tagħhom.
L-iskema ġiet ibbażata fuq dak li qalu l-operaturi ta’ dawn il-lukandi żgħar f’numru ta’ laqgħat ta’ konsultazzjoni li saru magħhom. Hawnhekk ħareġ ċar li minkejja li hemm ir-rieda li jnaqqsu l-użu tal-enerġija u l-ilma, l-isforzi tan-negozji jiġu mtappna mill-użanzi tal-viżitaturi tagħhom, li mhux dejjem jagħrfu kif għandhom jadottaw metodi sostenibbli waqt iż-żjara tagħhom. Għalhekk, l-aġenzija se tkun qed tagħti welcome packs lill-viżitaturi, b’oġġetti li jistgħu jiġu użati matul iż-żjara tagħhom, b’messaġġi dwar l-użu responsabbli tal-enerġija u l-ilma li jfakkruhom li kulħadd għandu rwol importanti fil-mixja lejn is-sostenibbiltà.
Il-Ministru Miriam Dalli saħqet dwar l-importanza tas-sostenibbiltà f’dan is-settur, bħal kull qasam ieħor tal-ekonomija. “Permezz ta’ din l-inizjattiva qed insostnu żewġ riżorsi ferm importanti, dawk tal-enerġija u l-ilma. Niltaqa’ ma diversi negozji li jkunu jixtiequ għajnuna teknika biex isiru aktar sostenibbli. B’inizjattiva bħal din ta’ EWA, flimkien ma’ skemi oħrajn bħal Smart and Sustainable tal-Malta Enterprise, qed niżguraw li minkejja li l-maġġoranza tan-negozji f’Malta huma żgħar jew medji, xorta jistgħu jistinkaw għal teknoloġiji u metodi aktar effiċjenti u sostenibbli,” qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-EWA, Manuel Sapiano qal li din l-iskema bla ħlas mhux biss qed tagħti pariri tekniċi lill-operaturi ta’ dawn il-lukandi żgħar, iżda qed taħdem ukoll biex gradwalment joħolqu bidla fil-kultura tal-viżitaturi li joqogħdu fihom, minħabba li dawn għandhom impatt sostanzjali fuq il-konsum tal-enerġija u l-ilma ta’ dawn in-negozji. Huwa spjega wkoll li l-EWA se tuża t-tagħrif u l-esperjenzi miksuba mill-proġett GUEST biex toħloq best practices li jistgħu jiggwidaw lill-operaturi oħrajn f’dan is-settur.
Amy Talbot, is-sid tal-boutique bed and breakfast Talbot and Bons fil-Gudja, irrimarkat kemm kien faċli biex applikat biex tieħu sehem fl-inizjattiva GUEST. Innutat li s-sostenn li sabet biex in-negozju tagħha jieħu sehem f’din l-iskema, kif ukoll iż-żjarat tal-uffiċjali tal-awditjar tal-enerġija u l-ilma tal-EWA, kienu kruċjali biex isaħħu l-impenn lejn operat aktar sostenibbli u effiċjenti.
Aktar tagħrif dwar GUEST u dwar kif lukandi żgħar jistgħu japplikaw għaliha jinsab fis-sit energywateragency.gov.mt/guest