Christmas short break at the Icehotel, Sweden
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The ICEHOTEL is a commendable example of responsible tourism in practice – it certainly takes the phrase ‘reduce, re-use and recycle’ to the extreme! Each year it is constructed of the organic elements of snow and ice and at the end of the winter it simply melts back into the Torne River.
The ICEHOTEL’s goal is to become carbon neutral by the year 2015. This will be achieved in partnership with Gävle Energi, which supplies renewable-source energy and is one of ‘Sweden's most environmentally-friendly energy companies’, according to Greenpeace. Steps towards this goal include raising awareness of employees, reviewing the infrastructure including all building structures to ensure minimal energy loss, and sourcing electricity that is 100% renewable to ensure there are no carbon dioxide emissions generated by its energy consumption.
Currently 80% of the buildings at ICEHOTEL are heated with ground-source heat; tail-water is recycled to cool the production hall; all laundry is handled in-house to save on transportation and they strive to work with sub-contractors that are genuinely committed to sustainability.
We are aware that some think the use of snowmobiles may be environmentally unsound. On the contrary, the snowmobile is a way of life here providing a vital link between remote communities. The alternative would be large, gas-guzzling off-road vehicles. The Polaris snowmobiles used on the ICEHOTEL activities are equipped with the latest four-stroke engines to ensure minimal impact on the environment.
We are proud to hold the AITO 3-star Responsible Travel accreditation recognising our commitment to sustainable tourism. One of the organisations we support is the Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge. Their pioneering research investigates social and environmental issues in the Arctic and Antarctic, such as global warming.
Back home we have an active environmental policy in our office including recycling bins throughout; printing our brochures on FSC accredited paper from sustainable forests; systems to encourage a paperless office; and movement sensor lights which use the latest energy-saving long-life elements.
Community
The ICEHOTEL is located in the small village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Tourism has become one of the main income sources for this remote community, providing economic benefits for the local businesses and employment for the residents, thus avoiding a drift towards more urban areas. We strive to ensure that the impact of tourism on this community is positive and work closely with the ICEHOTEL and the local transport and activity providers in maintaining this.
The native Sami inhabitants are the indigenous peoples of Lapland. Activities in which the fascinating Sami way of life can be experienced are offered by a Sami culture excursion operator which is certified according to the UN’s ecotourism label ’Nature’s Best’. Our guests are encouraged to respect the local Sami, their culture, traditions and customs and the beautiful and unspoilt environment in which these peoples live.
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