Silvia Ombellini and her husband Simone Riccardi wanted to find a place to stay that was good for the environment during a work trip. They couldn’t find one, so they decided to make a website called Ecobnb. On Ecobnb, you can find eco-friendly hotels and other places to stay. To be on the website, the places have to meet at least five out of ten sustainability standards. Lots of people are using Ecobnb, with 2.8 million travelers using it in 2021.

More and more people want to travel in a way that is good for the environment. A study showed that 69% of travelers want to find sustainable options. Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands is a group of eco hotels that use renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and serve vegetarian food. Byway Travel is a company that plans trips for people without using flights. They focus on going to places that aren’t very crowded.

Some hotels say they are eco-friendly when they really aren’t. This is called greenwashing. Marina Novelli, a professor, says it’s important for travelers to do their research and ask questions to make sure the places they stay at are really sustainable.

Even though flying on planes is bad for the environment, Ms. Ombellini still thinks there is hope for green travel. She thinks people can have vacations close to home and explore their own countries instead of flying far away. She believes that small choices can make a big difference and help make the world more sustainable.

Original news source: Tourists are rethinking their relationship with Earth’ (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Students will be divided into groups and given a short amount of time to summarize the main points of the article. Each group must present their summary to the class, highlighting the key information about Ecobnb, Conscious Hotels, Byway Travel, and the concept of greenwashing.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements based on the article’s content, such as “Sustainable travel is the responsibility of the traveler,” or “Greenwashing is a serious problem in eco-tourism.” Students will move around the room and mark their agreement or disagreement with each statement. Afterward, discuss as a class why they chose their positions.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “Sustainability” on the board. Students will take turns saying a word that they associate with sustainability, which can be inspired by the article. This will continue in a chain, with each student adding a word related to the previous one. This activity serves to reinforce vocabulary and concepts related to environmental responsibility and travel.

– Role-play: Sustainable Travel Consultant
Instructions: In pairs, one student will be a traveler looking for eco-friendly travel options, and the other will be a sustainable travel consultant. The consultant will use information from the article to advise the traveler on how to choose responsible accommodations and travel methods, while also avoiding greenwashing.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students will write a short paragraph predicting the future of sustainable travel, using information and concepts from the article as a basis. They can consider aspects such as technological advancements, changes in traveler behavior, and regulatory developments. After writing, they will share their predictions with a partner or small group and discuss the likelihood and potential impact of these predictions.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What inspired Silvia Ombellini and Simone Riccardi to create the website Ecobnb?
2. What criteria must accommodations meet to be listed on Ecobnb?
3. How many travelers used Ecobnb in the year 2021?
4. What percentage of travelers are looking for sustainable travel options according to the study mentioned?
5. What are some of the eco-friendly practices used by Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands?
6. What is the goal of Byway Travel when planning trips for people?
7. What is greenwashing and why is it a concern for eco-conscious travelers?
8. What does Ms. Ombellini suggest as an alternative to flying for vacations?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Silvia Ombellini and her (1)______ Simone Riccardi wanted to find a place to stay that was good for the environment during a work trip. They couldn’t find one, so they decided to make a website (2)______ Ecobnb. On Ecobnb, you can find eco-friendly hotels and (3)______ places to stay. To be on the website, the places have to meet at least five out of ten (4)______ standards. Lots of (5)______ are using Ecobnb, with 2.8 million travelers using it in 2021.

More and more people want to travel in a way that is good for the environment. A study showed that 69% of travelers want to find sustainable options. (6)______ Hotels in the Netherlands is a group of eco hotels that use renewable (7)______, eco-friendly furniture, and (8)______ vegetarian food. Byway (9)______ is a company that plans trips for people without (10)______ flights. They (11)______ on going to (12)______ that aren’t very crowded.

Some hotels say they are eco-friendly when they really aren’t. This is called greenwashing. Marina Novelli, a professor, says it’s important for travelers to do their research and ask questions to make sure the places they stay at are really (13)______.

Even though flying on planes is bad for the environment, Ms. Ombellini still thinks there is hope for green travel. She thinks people can have vacations close to home and explore their own (14)______ instead of flying far away. She believes that (15)______ choices can make a big (16)______ and help make the world more sustainable.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is an eco-friendly hotel to you?
2. How would you feel if you found out a hotel was not really eco-friendly after you stayed there?
3. Do you like the idea of traveling without flying? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to travel sustainably? Why?
5. Have you ever stayed in a place that you think was truly eco-friendly? What made it that way?
6. What are some ways you can think of that would make a vacation more environmentally friendly?
7. If you could create a sustainable standard for hotels, what would one rule be?
8. How do you think the travel industry can help protect the environment?
9. Do you prefer vegetarian food when you travel? Why or why not?
10. What is greenwashing? Have you ever heard of this practice before?
11. Would you use a service like Ecobnb to plan your trips? Why or why not?
12. How do you feel about the idea of exploring your own country instead of traveling far?
13. Do you think small choices in how we travel can really make a big difference for the planet?
14. What kind of research do you think is necessary to make sure a hotel is truly eco-friendly?
15. Can you think of a time when you made a travel choice that was good for the environment? What did you do?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. website
2. eco-friendly
3. sustainable
4. greenwashing
5. research
6. vacations
7. choices
8. sustainable

Meanings:
(a) Decisions you make between different options
(b) Trips you take for fun and relaxation
(c) Looking for information to make sure something is true
(d) Able to continue for a long time without causing harm
(e) Good for the environment
(f) When a place says it’s eco-friendly but it’s not
(g) Able to continue for a long time without causing harm
(h) A place on the internet where you can find information
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did Silvia Ombellini and her husband create the website Ecobnb?
(a) They wanted to make money by promoting eco-friendly hotels.
(b) They wanted to travel and stay in eco-friendly places for free.
(c) They wanted to create a website for people to share their travel experiences.
(d) They couldn’t find eco-friendly places to stay during their work trip.

2. How many sustainability standards does a place have to meet to be on Ecobnb?
(a) At least five out of ten.
(b) At least three out of five.
(c) At least eight out of ten.
(d) At least two out of five.

3. According to a study, what percentage of travelers want to find sustainable options?
(a) 50%
(b) 85%
(c) 69%
(d) 30%

4. What does Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands focus on to be eco-friendly?
(a) Luxury amenities and high-quality service.
(b) Renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and vegetarian food.
(c) Cheap prices and discounts for travelers.
(d) Fast and efficient check-in and check-out processes.

5. What is the term for when hotels falsely claim to be eco-friendly?
(a) Greenwashing.
(b) Sustainable marketing.
(c) Environmental fraud.
(d) Eco-deception.

6. According to Marina Novelli, what should travelers do to ensure the places they stay at are really sustainable?
(a) Trust the information provided by the hotels.
(b) Book only at hotels with eco-friendly logos.
(c) Do their research and ask questions.
(d) Ignore the claims made by hotels and make their own judgments.

7. What does Ms. Ombellini suggest as an alternative to flying far away for vacations?
(a) Not going on vacations at all.
(b) Having vacations close to home and exploring their own countries.
(c) Taking long road trips to different countries.
(d) Only traveling to crowded tourist destinations.

8. What does Ms. Ombellini believe can help make the world more sustainable?
(a) Large-scale government actions.
(b) Investing in renewable energy projects.
(c) Banning all forms of transportation.
(d) Small choices made by individuals.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Silvia Ombellini and her husband did not create a website called Ecobnb to help people find eco-friendly places to stay during their travels.
2. A study found that 69% of travelers are interested in finding sustainable travel options.
3. Silvia Ombellini does not believe that choosing to explore local destinations and making small sustainable choices can have a positive impact on the environment.
4. Ecobnb does not require the places listed on their website to meet at least five out of ten sustainability standards.
5. All hotels truthfully claim to be eco-friendly, a practice known as greenwashing.
6. In 2021, 2.8 million travelers used Ecobnb to find environmentally friendly accommodations.
7. Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands are a group of eco hotels that prioritize renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and vegetarian food.
8. Byway Travel is a company that plans trips without using flights, focusing on less crowded destinations.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did Silvia Ombellini and Simone Riccardi create, and why?
2. What requirements must accommodations meet to be listed on Ecobnb?
3. According to the article, what is the percentage of travelers looking for sustainable travel options?
4. What is “greenwashing,” and what does Marina Novelli suggest travelers should do?
5. What is Ms. Ombellini’s view on how to travel in an environmentally friendly way?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What inspired Silvia Ombellini and Simone Riccardi to create the website Ecobnb?
They couldn’t find an eco-friendly place to stay during a work trip, so they decided to create a website to help others find environmentally-friendly accommodations.

2. What criteria must accommodations meet to be listed on Ecobnb?
Accommodations must meet at least five out of ten sustainability standards to be listed on Ecobnb.

3. How many travelers used Ecobnb in the year 2021?
2.8 million travelers used Ecobnb in 2021.

4. What percentage of travelers are looking for sustainable travel options according to the study mentioned?
69% of travelers want to find sustainable travel options.

5. What are some of the eco-friendly practices used by Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands?
Conscious Hotels use renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and serve vegetarian food.

6. What is the goal of Byway Travel when planning trips for people?
Byway Travel aims to plan trips that don’t involve flying and focus on visiting less crowded places.

7. What is greenwashing and why is it a concern for eco-conscious travelers?
Greenwashing is when hotels claim to be eco-friendly when they really aren’t. It’s a concern because it can mislead travelers who are trying to make sustainable choices.

8. What does Ms. Ombellini suggest as an alternative to flying for vacations?
Ms. Ombellini suggests having vacations close to home and exploring one’s own country instead of flying far away.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) husband
(2) called
(3) other
(4) sustainability
(5) people
(6) Conscious
(7) energy
(8) serve
(9) Travel
(10) using
(11) focus
(12) places
(13) sustainable
(14) countries
(15) small
(16) difference
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. website
Answer: (h) A place on the internet where you can find information

2. eco-friendly
Answer: (e) Good for the environment

3. sustainable
Answer: (d) Able to continue for a long time without causing harm

4. greenwashing
Answer: (f) When a place says it’s eco-friendly but it’s not

5. research
Answer: (c) Looking for information to make sure something is true

6. vacations
Answer: (b) Trips you take for fun and relaxation

7. choices
Answer: (a) Decisions you make between different options

8. sustainable
Answer: (d) Able to continue for a long time without causing harm
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did Silvia Ombellini and her husband create the website Ecobnb?
Answer: (d) They couldn’t find eco-friendly places to stay during their work trip.

2. How many sustainability standards does a place have to meet to be on Ecobnb?
Answer: (a) At least five out of ten.

3. According to a study, what percentage of travelers want to find sustainable options?
Answer: (c) 69%

4. What does Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands focus on to be eco-friendly?
Answer: (b) Renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and vegetarian food.

5. What is the term for when hotels falsely claim to be eco-friendly?
Answer: (a) Greenwashing.

6. According to Marina Novelli, what should travelers do to ensure the places they stay at are really sustainable?
Answer: (c) Do their research and ask questions.

7. What does Ms. Ombellini suggest as an alternative to flying far away for vacations?
Answer: (b) Having vacations close to home and exploring their own countries.

8. What does Ms. Ombellini believe can help make the world more sustainable?
Answer: (d) Small choices made by individuals.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Silvia Ombellini and her husband did not create a website called Ecobnb to help people find eco-friendly places to stay during their travels. (Answer: False)
2. A study found that 69% of travelers are interested in finding sustainable travel options. (Answer: True)
3. Silvia Ombellini does not believe that choosing to explore local destinations and making small sustainable choices can have a positive impact on the environment. (Answer: False)
4. Ecobnb does not require the places listed on their website to meet at least five out of ten sustainability standards. (Answer: False)
5. All hotels truthfully claim to be eco-friendly, a practice known as greenwashing. (Answer: False)
6. In 2021, 2.8 million travelers used Ecobnb to find environmentally friendly accommodations. (Answer: True)
7. Conscious Hotels in the Netherlands are a group of eco hotels that prioritize renewable energy, eco-friendly furniture, and vegetarian food. (Answer: True)
8. Byway Travel is a company that plans trips without using flights, focusing on less crowded destinations. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧