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Have you thought about your next vacation yet?The Tourism Industry is one of the most active industries in our economy and constitutes one of the sectorswith the greatest prospects for growth in the next few years. It is also one of the sectors where efforts havebeen most actively directed at controlling and reducing environmental impact. In Catalonia, there are now anumber of organizations in this sector which are EMAS-registered or which possess the Environmental QualityAward conferred by Catalonias Autonomous Government (Generalitat).

InterviewJoan Comas Serra, of the Mas Fuselles Rural Tourism EstablishmentMas Fuselles Rural Lodge is a tourism establishment that has received the Environmental Quality Awardconferred by Catalonias Autonomous Government (Generalitat) and it is the only organization in thetourism sector in Catalonia with a European Eco-label.

Joan Comas explained to us how he made the decision to seek these two awards and how the philosophybehind these awards fits well with his business, which assumes that there is a new way of working and doingthings. While his efforts have not been recognized by his customers, but only by professionals in the sector,he is seeking to educate visitors to his establishment and to raise their awareness about these topics.He described to us how he constructed a purifier for waste water; he also mentioned the investmentrepresented by these different measures, which must be partially reflected in price. The most innovativeelement of his lodge is an ecological roof similar to the way in which shepherds huts have been builtfor years, which contributes to the integration of his lodge with its natural environment. Future projects areasystem for channeling natural light inside the lodge and a solar kitchen.

Exchange of experiences

EMAS and campgrounds in Catalonia: they go together wellLes Medes Campgrounds, by Francesc RecioFrancesc Recio discussed with us the commitment of the campgrounds towards the environment, which goesback to the time before the existence of an Environmental Management System. His commitment manifestsitself in a variety of ways, from the use of recycled paper to the selective collection of waste throughout thecampground facilities. It is the result of a pilot project that was implemented with the assistance of theDepartment of the Environment and Housing [DMAH] and the Catalonian Federation of Campgrounds whenthey became EMAS-registered and ISO 14001-certified at the beginning of 2000. Some of his improvementsinclude a2% savings in the consumption of electrical energy, a 23% savings in the consumption ofgasoline, a 27% reduction in the consumption of water, and a 67% increase in the collection of primarypetroleum fractions. These improvements helped him to earn the Environmental Quality Award. At thepresent time, improvements are being made in one of the two sanitation blocks.

Bona Vista Botanical Campgrounds, by Joaquim Ruscalleda (Kim)Mr. Joaquim Ruscalleda explained to us the origin of these campgrounds and how they became the point ofdeparture for optimizing the natural resources of his establishment. One of the first measures he adopted wasto install a purifier in 1992, although, since that time, he has begun the selective recollection of paper, glassand barbecue ashes. In 1997, another improvement was made throughparticipation in the Eco-Campingproject, and an EMAS and ISO 14001 pilot program was implemented in 1998, just like Les MedesCampgrounds, so that it could be registered two years later in 2000. These campgrounds then went on toearn an Environmental Quality Award.One value which he emphasized was the management of the Emergency Plan, as well as the fact that thecampgrounds in 2007 were the recipients of the Campgrounds of the Year Award, conferred by theprestigious Dutch group, the Dutch Automobile Association [Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijders Bondor ANWB].

Implementation of an Environmental Management System [SGA] in the Aigestortes National

Park and Sant Maurici Lake.

By Jess Tartera Orteu and Merc Aniz Montes, officials in charge of the Park

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We were told about the creation of the National Park in 1955 and its evolution. The difficulties involved in theenvironmental management of the Park are varied: there are a large number of facilities, numbering morethan 20, which extend over 10 municipalities; some are located in isolated areas, while others are ataltitudes greater than 2,000 meters. The complexity and sheer number of environmental issues to be dealtwith: 125 direct issues, 83 indirect issues and 19 potential issues. The most significant issues are thoserelated to the use of the Park by the public, since it receives more than half a million visitors a year. One ofthe aspects which raises more management problems than others is the generation of sewage in the shelters,since the majority are located at altitudes above 2000 meters and are, therefore, not capable of electrification. One example of management and savings: At the Espot Park visitors center, there has been a 21% decreasein the consumption of electrical energy and 26% decrease in the consumption of water. At the Bo ParkVisitors center, there has been a 71% decrease in the consumption of electrical energy and, generallyspeaking, CO2 emissions throughout the Park complex have decreased by 25% over three years.

Behind the curtain: sustainability and protection of the environment at the Great Theater of the

Barcelona Lyceum. By Gregori Reyes, EMAS Club.He told us that the Lyceum is the first European theater which has managed to become EMAS-registeredand ISO 14001-certified, but, due to the special nature of its activities, there are a number of environmentalissues that have to be handled: the environmental impact which the theater logistics has on its surroundings,nearly permanently resolved as a result of the remodeling which the theater underwent in 1994 after the fire;management of electrical energy and gas as the primary sources of energy through energy-saving measures;

generation of waste, a very significant issue to be treated through selective collection; recycling of differentscenery and strict planning of performance seasons; management of water, by taking advantage of aquifersunder the theaters subsoil; and noise, which must be held below the established threshold by insulatingvarious noise-generating devices. Emphasis must also be placed, in turn, on the task of sensitizing all thegroups who work together and collaborate in the theater.

EMAS at recreational marinas. By Joan Bellavista Sol, manager of the Port de Matar

ConsortiumJoan Bellavista explained to us that the tourism sector represents 18% of EMAS registrations in Cataloniaand there are nine recreational marinas which are EMAS-registered and which have a great awareness oftheir environmental impact.He explained the significant environmental aspects of recreational marinas: the environmental impact on theinfrastructure of the coastline itself, the generation of sewage from boating and port activities, the generationof liquid effluents from boating (raw sewage and oily water), gasoline service stations, the quality of marinawater, the consumption of water, energy efficiency and people themselves, perhaps the most significantenvironmental issue, according to Joan Bellavista.

Eco-labels in the tourism sector.By Ramon Serrat and Lara Llurba de Cett ConsultantsSerrat and Llurba de Cett explained how the eco-label of the European Union was created in 1992 as acertification to help European consumers identify products and services that were the most environmentallyfriendly. Each country had its own certifying agency (in Spain, the Spanish Association of Standardization andCertification, or AENOR), which, as of the current time, has awarded more than 160 productswith thisemblem, 68 of which are related to products or services in the tourism sector.It was also mentioned that Catalonia has the Environmental Quality Award, an initiative implemented by the

Department of the Environment and Housing [DMAH] in 1994, and that there are 196 accredited companiesat the present time. 70% of these companies are in the tourism sector.

Environmental AgendaWorkshops, seminars, conferences, courses, master classes, and other offerings between April and July,2008.

News bulletinThe value of buying recycled or biodegradable products this information is on file at the Catalonia RecyclingCenter.

Informational RecordNew EMAS registrations, eco-labels and environmental quality awards conferred in April 2008 and a graph ofthe distribution of EMAS company registrations by industry sectors in Catalonia.