We know that, just like us, there are hundreds of other projects wanting to do more for the planet. We went to find out more about what drives them and what we can expect from their project. Once a week, one startup, one interview, five questions.
We talk to Diana Ferreira, co-founder of Noytrall, a company that wants to compensate guests for their sustainable practices, while encouraging hotels to implement more and more ecological measures in their operation.
Through an app, guests can check their consumption and interact with an education and gamification system that promotes the adoption of good sustainability practices, rewarding them with a set of sustainable experiences or products.
What problem is your startup solving?
More and more tourists are looking hard at sustainable travel options. However, what does it mean to be sustainable when staying in hotels?
The tourism sector has been setting targets to halve its impact. But these goals will only be achieved with the involvement of the guests. Today, when we stay in a hotel, we don’t just pay for what we are consuming (energy and water), but an average of all the guests, and this takes responsibility away from the tourist. To increase the sustainability of the sector, hotels have to make their offer fair and transparent, giving tourists the tools to reduce their impact.
Why start a business on the sustainability front?
From an engineering base we have always had a sense of environmental responsibility and started our journey into entrepreneurship in an attempt to meet the needs of renewable energy. As we transitioned into this tourism business, the basis of sustainability was always a starting point.
What are the biggest obstacles of working in this area?
Unfortunately, for many businesses, sustainability is a secondary aspect, with economic aspects taking precedence. It is part of the effort of sustainable-based entrepreneurs to show that there is no business where sustainability is not a central aspect.
What achievement are you most proud of as the leader of this startup?
Having a team that believes in the mission has been key, but pride in the work will come from actually being able to reduce the impact of tourism.
What is the next step?
As next steps we want to expand our supply base and establish a community of sustainable tourism-oriented services and products.
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Português (Portuguese (Portugal))
