Hostel Celica, which is since last year managed by the public institute Ljubljana Castle, again received a prestigious recognition – the Gold Travelife certificate.

Already at the beginning of June 2016, when Ljubljana proudly held the title European Green Capital, Hostel Celica received the environmental seal, the Gold Travelife certificate, and thus becoming the first certified sustainable oriented hostel in Slovenia and the world. When Ljubljana Castle became the new manager of the renovated hostel, the certification rules for the environmental seal made it necessary for us to re-apply for the certificate and adapt it to the new organisational structure. We have successfully satisfied 150 sustainable criteria of the international scheme for the promotion of sustainable operation in the area of tourism; and so, Hostel Celica is going to continue to operate as a sustainable oriented hostel.

»Receiving the Gold Travelife environmental seal is important for Hostel Celica and for Ljubljana as it is ranked in the very top of sustainable destinations in Europe. As managers of the hostel we are aware that sustainable tourism is a competitive advantage of Slovenia. Hostel Celica, which is definitely a particularity on the global stage, the awarded certificate brings higher recognisability and competitiveness at the international level,« highlighted the Director Mateja Avbelj Valentan.

Travelife

Travelife is an internationally recognised scheme promoting sustainable operation and development of the tourism industry. It is encouraging accommodation facilities and tourism operators to decrease their negative impacts on the environment, develop long-term partnerships and forge connections with the local community.

The sustainable vision covers environmental issues (monitoring and decreasing the quantity of waste, use of energy, water and harmful substances), social topics, employee satisfaction, human rights, children protection, cooperation with the local community, and protection and promotion of traditions, customs and the environment in which we operate.

Sustainable vision of Hostel Celica

In everyday business we are guided by environmental, social and economic responsibility towards our guests, employees and the local community. Visual reminders of the sustainable strategy are displayed in the hostel: THINK, ACT in SHARE. The sign THINK encourages guests and employees to think about sustainability and to acknowledge its significance. The sign ACT promotes active attainment of goals we have set for ourselves and taking appropriate measures to that end. The sign SHARE invites people to spread the idea of the sustainable vision of the Hostel Celica.

For us to obtain the certificate we had to satisfy primarily the following criteria: monitoring the use of all sources of energy, separating waste and appropriate waste management, encouraging employees and guests towards energy saving and sustainable behaviour, considering sustainable goals in choosing suppliers, choosing quality suppliers of products and services from the local environment which is notably reflected in a recent novelty – offering daily lunch menus to guests in our neighbourhood with an additional important aspect of social responsibility towards the environment, namely, we donate the leftover food to the project Viški hrane. With local suppliers in mind we are offering local products, services and experiences. The last category includes a cultural and art programme in the hostel presenting the Slovenian culture; in the second half of 2018, when the hostel reopened, we held 54 events within the programme.

Travelife is not a permanently awarded certificate. With its attainment we have committed ourselves to continued sustainable operation, especially in reducing the use of all sources of energy and the quantity of waste, increasing the use of locally produced food and drinks, and the promotion of sustainable means of transport in the city and the surrounding area among our guests.