For a number of years, Hostelling International Norway has worked on a defined strategy for promoting sustainability among its hostels. In fact, most of the hostels in our network have proven experience in working with environmental and green projects (read Top 10 Sustainable Hostels in Norway). The United Nations has declared 2017 as the International Year for Sustainable Tourism and Development. This year brings us the opportunity to showcase our experience as an asset within the sustainable tourism sector but, also, reminds us that not everything is done and sustainability is a long-term path which requires continuous improvement.

It is in this regard that our last exchange program becomes relevant. Coinciding with the 2017 UN International Year for Sustainable Tourism, HI Norway and HI Brazil have started a 3 years period exchange program focused on Sustainability and Conscious Tourism. Each year, two staff from each country will exchange and work promoting green and sustainable strategies in HI hostels (water recycling policies, swap markets, urban gardens, composting, etc). The program has been organized by Fredskorpset-FKNorway and it is funded by the Norwegian Government.

We are delighted to present you our exchange staff from this year. After a two weeks training in Thailand, Vanessa Ferreira Costa and Fernanda Miranda Cunha Tenório -from Brazil- have come to Norway at the beginning of February. They are already working for HI Gjøvik Hostel. At the same time, Kaja Knutsdotter Fjørtoft and Michael Aune Øseth -from Norway- have gotten to Brazil and they are settled in Hostel7 Brasilia.

We want all of you to be part of their day-to-day work in Norway and Brazil and that is the reason we opened this blog to them so they can tell us first-hand their projects. We hope you follow up their progress during this year. Some blog articles are about to come!

Article written by Marcos Doespiritusanto