Sustainable resort in Finland offers discounts if tourist curb their emissions

ReutersOct 23, 2019 11:17:08 IST

Can’t afford to travel? Guests who go green at a new Finnish resort could reap a steep discount by curbing their emissions, preserving both their budget and the environment.

Arctic Blue Resort, set to open in 2022, is offering guests up to 50 percent off of the total price of a stay for watching their water intake, electricity use and food choices. Planting a tree in the nearby forest would knock another 5 percent off the tab.

The resort is the brainchild of Finnish distillery Arctic Blue Group, which conceived of the nature-oriented resort as it aimed to fight climate change.

Representational image. Image credit: Visit Finland

“All about experiencing nature — we want you to go out and be involved in it,” marketing and communication strategist Simone Bocedi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

While prices have yet to be determined, Bocedi said the resort “should be accessible to everyone,” with every bit guests do to be more sustainable will lower their bill while also aiding the fight against climate change.

“We want the resort to be a place of true tranquillity and thus encourage our guests to be more present in the moment and embrace digital detox,” vice president and co-founder of Arctic Brands Group Mikko Spoof said in a statement.

Sustainable features include its own water treatment system and renewable energy resources, with food locally sourced and seasonal. Activities will also be geared toward the time of year as well as the surrounding landscape.

Planting a tree in a forest can reduce a person's total bill by five percent. Image credit: Pixabay

The property will be located in Kontiolahti, an eastern Finland municipality about 450 km from the Finnish capital city Helsinki. Kontiolahti has a rich ecosystem boasting lush forests and waterfront scenes.

“With Arctic Blue Resort we want to lead an example by putting emphasis on environmental responsibility and by creating solutions to minimize the negative impact of tourism,” Kontiolahti Mayor Jere Penttilä said in the statement.

Arctic Brand Group founded the hotel to bring awareness to sustainability after the bilberry crops they use to make their signature gin were found to be dwindling, as global warming lessens frost the bilberries need to thrive.

“We wanted to raise awareness about how you could or should live more sustainably,” said Bocedi.