Accomodation
At larger conferences the overnight accommodation of participants generates, after travel, the most carbon emissions. On the other hand, local Basel hospitality businesses profit from these visitors.
As the event organiser you can take important steps towards sustainability in the planning of accommodation by, for example, minimising the distance between hotels and the event venue, looking for good public transport connections and highlighting accessible or socially and ecologically exemplary businesses in Basel.
Measures
1. Select hotels in the vicinity of the event venue
Select (or recommend) accommodation facilities that are located in the vicinity of the event venue, so participants can get there on foot or by public transport. Also look for good and quick connections to the event using public transport.
Further Information
- Online map with accommodations in Basel - Overview on the City map of Basel
2. Recommend sustainable hotels in Basel
When selecting accommodation, try to ensure that the hotels take sustainability issues into account in their operation. Do they make efforts to reduce energy and water consumption, or is the hotel socially responsible? Guidance is offered by the sustainability label Ibex-Fairstay, or by ISO 14001 certification, ensuring compliance with particular environmental requirements.
3. Highlight accessible, wheelchair friendly hotels
Indicate on your homepage and in the invitation, which hotels are wheelchair accessible. The relevant hotels should satisfy the following criteria (relevant hotels in Basel are listed below): entry without steps, lift available in multistorey establishments (min. 80 x 120cm), door width at least 90cm, bathroom and toilet facilities wheelchair accessible, barrier free shower.
Further Information
- Map for accessible hotels in Basel - From Pro Infirmis. This map can be purchased from Basel Tourism in printed form.
- List of wheelchair accessible hotels in Basel (in German) [PDF (59 KB)] - From Pro Infirmis.
- Guide for people with a disability (in German) - directory for accessible public buildings, hotels etc. in north-western Switzerland.
- Service Centre for Study without Barriers - Service Centre for Study without Barriers - For further information on accessibility you are welcome to contact the Service Centre for Study without Barriers at the University of Basel.
4. Sustainable behavour in hotels
In the hotel, one can act in more sustainable ways with little effort. Ask your guests, for example, to save energy and water in the hotel. One possibility is to provide your guests with a copy of the information leaflet “Be a sustainable hotel guest”, produced by the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zürich.
Further Information
- Flyer: "Be a sustainable hotel guest" - ETH Zurich has compiled an information page for event guests, with tips for sustainable behavior in the hotel.
5. Offer affordable accommodation
Offer more affordable alternatives to guests such as students, doctoral candidates, or visitors from countries with a lower level of income. In addition to more affordable accommodation (see links below), you can also try to organise couch surfing (e.g. amongst students).
Further Information
