'Tourists are rethinking their relationship with Earth' - BBC News

An increasing number of holidaymakers are picking more environmentally-friendly trips.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Silvia OmbelliniImage caption, Silvia Ombellini, pictured here with Simone Riccardi, says there is growing global demand for more sustainable tourismBy Suzanne BearneBusiness reporterIt was while visiting an Italian city for work that Silvia Ombellini and her husband Simone Riccardi dreamt up the idea to set up a website dedicated to sustainable tourism.

Mr Riccardi was working for an Italian university at the time, 10 years ago, and had to go to the city of Potenza in the south of the country for a conference.

The couple say they wanted to book a hotel with good environmental credentials, but that they really struggled to find one. "We were looking for sustainable accommodation, but it was not so easy to find online and book," says Ms Ombellini.

So it sparked the idea for a business - a website called Ecobnb, where people can search for environmentally-friendly hotels, home rentals, B&Bs, and other forms of accommodation.

"We wanted to create a meeting point between eco travellers and accommodation owners investing in a better future," adds Ms Ombellini.