The Azores, sustainable by nature
Would you like to make your next trip more responsible and choose a destination that focuses on sustainable tourism? SWISS takes you to the Azores, a unique place where tourism is in line with the preservation of resources and the conservation of the archipelago's natural heritage.
Why choose the Azores as a sustainable tourism destination
Located off the coast of Portugal, the nine islands that make up the Azores are a true wilderness paradise. Choosing the Azores as a holiday destination means not only escaping to the heart of unspoilt nature and admiring landscapes that are unique in the world, but also opting for a destination that encourages responsible tourism that respects nature.
Eco-responsible accommodation, gastronomy based on local and organic production, investment in renewable energy, control of tourist numbers: Visit Azores is committed to preserving natural resources on a daily basis. As a result, it was the first archipelago in the world to be awarded the "Sustainable Tourism Destination" label, as part of the EarthCheck Sustainable Tourism Destination programme.
I am travelling by plane, what can I do to make my journey more sustainable?
At the time of booking, you have the opportunity to offset the CO2 emissions of your flights. We now offer you several options, directly in the booking process. To make your trip CO₂ neutral, you can choose between:
- buy Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a sustainable paraffin that is not of fossil origin,
- support concrete and effective climate protection measures by investing in projects of the Swiss non-profit organisation myclimate,
- or a combination of both options, the purchase of SAF and myclimate.
More about SWISS's commitment
At SWISS, we see it as our duty to contribute to a more sustainable economy and to assume our social responsibility towards our employees and society, and we make special efforts in the area of climate protection.
How we plan to have our CO2 emissions by 2030? We are aware that we are at the beginning of a long journey, but the first steps have been taken
- Investment in modern and fuel-efficient aircraft & engine technologies. Thanks to billions of investments, we today operate one of the most advanced aircraft fleets, and thus one of the most ecofriendly in carbon emission terms.
- Increase our use of sustainable aviation fuel and becoming the first airline in the world to fly on solar fuel. Sustainable aviation fuel is the solution for carbon neutral flights. To this end, we support the development of solar fuels and cooperate with the Swiss company Synhelion.
- Usage of new technologies such as AeroSHARK. The AeroSHARK riblet film imitates shark skin, which is particularly suitable for flow. This system improves the aerodynamics of an aircraft to reduce fuel consumption.
- Increase our operational efficiency through artificial intelligence-assisted fleet planning. We have partnered with Google Cloud to create a platform to more effectively plan and manage our daily flight operations.
