Until recently, not much has been touted when it comes to Austria's eco credentials... that is, until this week, when Alfred Strigl, deputy director of the Austrian Institute for Sustainability, said Austria was "top of the world" in sustainability. We haven't realized it because they're so modest, he claims. And... wait for it... he just may be right, according to the press release that accompanied his comments.
The country, unlike so many others, has apparently been embracing green practices for quite some time, including strict waste management regulations for businesses and households alike. In fact, 60 percent of waste is recycled and Austria was the first European country where renewable energies make up more than 50 percent of national energy production. And several Austrian towns and villages are promoting the concept of car-free holidays and low-traffic or vehicle-free zones, while cities such as Graz and Salzburg are converting their public transport to clean fuels. For folks that travel on foot, there's plenty to explore, including extensive national parks among the Alpine landscape that create a hiker's paradise.Thermal spa and hotel Rogner Bad Blumau in Styria is reportedly one of Austria's finest sustainable tourist destinations, not only going to great lengths to minimise its environmental impact, but also helping to transform the economy of what was once one of Austria's poorest communities. In May of this year, the hotel also partnered with the World Wildlife Federation for Nature to donate a percentage of proceeds to save the Amazon rain forest.
Find out more at http://www.austria.info/
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