Guests who know Roteiros de Charme hotels well are familiar with the sustainability good practices carried out by the members of this hotel Association. It is the responsible management of practices that makes it possible to increase the sustainability of hospitality. Better known practices include: the use of solar panels for water heating, extensive use of natural light, energy saving light bulbs, electronic devices that makes more efficient energy consumption possible, waste collection, reduction and recycling of solid waste, the engagement of hotels in initiatives and projects for the preservation of the environmental, historic and cultural heritage of their regions.

Of equal importance are practices aimed at enhancing the professional qualifications of labour forces in tourism destinations. Hotels give preference to hiring locally to fill most positions in their establishments (kitchen, cleaning, management, maintenance, construction). In many tourism destinations there are shortages of qualified labour, which results in Associated Hotels becoming training centres for the professionalization of the labour force in their localities.

For sustainability good practices to be disseminated between Associated Hotels, the Roteiros de Charme maintains a programme that permanently monitors practices carried out by all of its hotels. A team of professionals verifies adopted practices and provides advice for the continuous improvement of these, based on the archive of practices accumulated over the years. The programme’s maintenance and expansion is made possible thanks to strategic partnerships with private sector companies that share its hospitality vision. The team of professionals consists of independent consultants in environmental engineering, agronomy, forestry, biology, geography and tourism.