Our Quandary

We sell holidays to some of the most beautiful parts of Italy and most of our guests fly to get there.  It's worth bearing in mind the train is a wonderful way to travel to Italy and can be incorporated into your holiday as part of your holiday.  If you'd like train travel advice to Italy please speak with us.

We know that air travel is a significant contributor to global warming. There are many other aspects of a holiday which influence carbon emissions and sustainability – car hire, accommodation, waste disposal and many more... With a little thought you can reduce your footprint without giving up flying completely.

What we do now

We are a small operator and as such our impact on our local environment is small. Two thirds of our UK workforce walk and cycle to work every day. Our office has become almost paperless and we are committed to minimising waste.

We work directly with owners and are setting out on a program exploring ways in which properties can be more sustainable.

We travel to Italy regularly to visit our properties and owners and we are striving to make these trips as efficient as possible.

Where we are heading

There is no escaping the fact that we all need to think about our actions. We at Essential Italy are looking to work with our guests and our owners to improve and make a positive impact. Our aim is to get as many owners as possible to implement systems to reduce their environmental impact. Whether this be solar panels, water systems or waste disposal procedures.

Whilst on holiday you too can take action to have leave less of a footprint:

Italy has a spectacularly confusing recycling system which varies form region to region. Please take you time to study it and follow the rules. Upon arrival at your villa check with the house manager as to the local rules and regulations.

Most of our villas have air conditioning - please be sensible in the usage. Leaving it on for hours while you are wandering the streets of Florence, Lecce or on the beach is a waste and we urge you to only use when required. The same goes for lights in and outside the house.

Shop local, a no brainer really in Italy. Local fruit and vegetable store will have produce from the immediate area, local alimentari (delis) will have cheese and meats from local suppliers.