Switzerland: Smiling House Luxury, an online travel agency for luxury vacation rentals, has announced its participation in the Swisstainability programme, an initiative launched by Swiss Tourism to promote sustainable tourism practices.

By being part of the programme, the Gstaad-based company wants to demonstrate its commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic sustainability, as well as to foster a culture of sustainability while delivering exceptional travel experiences to its guests.

Swisstainability serves as a platform for tourism businesses across Switzerland to showcase their dedication to sustainability and engage in collaborative efforts to minimise their environmental footprint. Through initiatives such as energy efficiency measures, waste reduction strategies, and community engagement projects, participants pledge to preserve Switzerland’s natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations.

Moriya Rockman, co-founder of Smiling House Luxury, said: “We are delighted to join the Swisstainability programme and contribute to the collective effort of promoting sustainable tourism in Switzerland. Swiss Tourism is a global leader in sustainability and by working with Smiling House, it is embracing the vacation rentals industry and our power to influence guests, homeowners, and property managers across the globe.

“We all know that sustainability is a major trend in our sector – and we are proud to be recognised for our commitment in this area. We take many steps to educate staff, hosts, property managers, and guests about sustainability and how we can all contribute to eco- friendly initiatives.

“We look forward to continuing our commitment and flying the flag for sustainability, the vacation rentals industry, and Switzerland,” she added.

Through its membership of Swisstainability, Smiling House is aiming to further enhance its sustainability initiatives to inspire hosts and travellers to make responsible choices.

Additionally, Smiling House is working closely with educational platform EnviroRental to embed sustainability practices throughout its operations, including educating staff, homeowners, property managers and guests.

Bob Garner, founder and CEO of EnviroRental, said: “I am excited to see the commitment to sustainability being incorporated into the strategy of Smiling House. The issue is no longer an optional extra for the tourism industry and Smiling House recognises this and wants to see it front and centre of their incredible platform in future.

“EnviroRental is closely collaborating with Smiling House, building education programmes for their property owners, and giving them free access to all our sustainability resources,” he added.