{"id":19703,"date":"2026-09-24T11:02:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/?p=19703"},"modified":"2026-09-24T16:48:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T16:48:49","slug":"sustainable-tourism-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/sustainable-tourism-architecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Tourism and Architecture: Creating Value Without Losing the Identity of Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"mjarc-article\" lang=\"en\">\n<header><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Sustainable tourism is not built solely through reducing water consumption, improving energy efficiency or managing waste. It begins much earlier: in the choice of location, the reading of the landscape, the relationship with local communities and the way architecture transforms existing resources into an experience with identity.<\/span><\/header>\n<p>In a sector where different destinations compete for the attention of the same travellers, authenticity has become a value that is difficult to replicate. A hotel may offer comfort and efficiency, but it is its relationship with the territory \u2014 its light, materiality, memory, culture and landscape \u2014 that makes it truly distinctive.<\/p>\n<p>Architecture therefore plays a central role in sustainable tourism. It can reduce environmental impacts and operating costs, while protecting the character of a place, enhancing the guest experience and creating lasting value for the investment.<\/p>\n<section id=\"what-is-sustainable-tourism\">\n<h2>What is sustainable tourism?<\/h2>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/business.turismodeportugal.pt\/en\/Growing\/Sustainability\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turismo de Portugal<\/a>, sustainable tourism must consider the needs of visitors, the industry and local communities, as well as its present and future environmental, economic and social impacts.<\/p>\n<p>This definition highlights an important idea: sustainability is not limited to environmental performance. A tourism development is only truly sustainable when it balances four interdependent dimensions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Responsible use of natural resources;<\/li>\n<li>Long-term economic viability;<\/li>\n<li>Respect for the sociocultural identity of the territory;<\/li>\n<li>Tangible benefits for local communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These principles are particularly relevant in Portugal, where much of the country\u2019s tourism value derives from the diversity of its landscapes, built heritage, material traditions and the historic relationship between communities and their territories.<\/p>\n<p>Developing a tourism project without acknowledging that identity may produce a technically efficient building, but one that is incapable of belonging to its setting. By contrast, when architecture emerges from a careful reading of its context, sustainability ceases to be an additional layer and becomes part of the project\u2019s own logic.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"architecture-as-a-starting-point\">\n<h2>Architecture as the starting point for sustainable tourism<\/h2>\n<p>The decisions with the greatest impact on the sustainability of a hotel, resort or nature tourism development are often made during the earliest stages of the project.<\/p>\n<p>The positioning of the building, solar orientation, volume, relationship with the topography, preservation of vegetation and spatial organisation all influence energy and water consumption, indoor comfort, future maintenance and the way the development will ultimately be experienced.<\/p>\n<p>It is also during this stage that the project determines whether the building will enter into dialogue with the landscape or compete with it.<\/p>\n<p>Before defining an architectural language, it is essential to understand:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The topography and natural movement of water;<\/li>\n<li>Solar orientation and prevailing winds;<\/li>\n<li>Existing ecosystems and vegetation;<\/li>\n<li>The views that should be framed or protected;<\/li>\n<li>Local materials and construction systems;<\/li>\n<li>Existing structures with architectural or cultural value;<\/li>\n<li>Local ways of life and economic activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This reading makes it possible to transform constraints into design opportunities. A slope may encourage a partially embedded building; an existing structure may accommodate a new programme; a line of trees may organise routes and outdoor spaces; and a local construction system may inspire a contemporary architectural response.<\/p>\n<p>Sustainability therefore begins with the ability to work with the place rather than against it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"creating-value-without-uniformity\">\n<h2>Creating value without standardising the experience<\/h2>\n<p>Many tourism destinations face a paradox: the more they attempt to respond to a global idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/luxury-architecture-comfort-wellbeing\/\">comfort and luxury<\/a>, the greater the risk of losing what makes them distinctive.<\/p>\n<p>When the same materials, decorative solutions and accommodation models are repeated across different locations, the experience becomes predictable. The building could be in the Douro Valley, the Alentejo or beside the Atlantic without that change meaningfully affecting its identity.<\/p>\n<p>Sustainable tourism proposes the opposite approach. Rather than importing an image, it seeks to reveal what is already there.<\/p>\n<p>This differentiation may emerge from the rehabilitation of a building, the use of local materials, the integration of traditional craftsmanship or the relationship between the tourism programme and a productive landscape. It may also arise from less visible decisions: routes that follow the topography, outdoor spaces protected from the wind, views framed towards a vineyard or a garden that extends the biodiversity of its surroundings.<\/p>\n<p>Identity should not be treated as themed decoration. It should be embedded in the spatial organisation, materiality and everyday experience of the guest.<\/p>\n<p>It is this coherence that makes it possible to create a distinctive tourism proposition without transforming local culture into scenery.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"rehabilitate-before-building-new\">\n<h2>Rehabilitating before building new<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/hospitality-renovation-adaptive-reuse-hotel-industry\/\">Rehabilitation and adaptive reuse<\/a> can play a decisive role in the development of lower-impact tourism.<\/p>\n<p>Preserving an existing structure extends the useful life of a building, reduces the demand for new raw materials and avoids some of the embodied emissions associated with demolition and new construction. The European Environment Agency identifies extending the lifespan of buildings and adapting existing structures as relevant strategies for reducing material consumption and embodied emissions.<\/p>\n<p>Within the hospitality sector, this approach offers an additional advantage: it allows the memory of the building to become part of the accommodation experience.<\/p>\n<p>An old house, estate, convent, warehouse or industrial building can accommodate a new programme without losing the elements that bear witness to its history. Courtyards, staircases, structures, walls, vaults, floors and traces of time can be reinterpreted and integrated into a contemporary experience.<\/p>\n<h3>Cicioso Boutique Hotel: memory as part of hospitality<\/h3>\n<p>In the historic centre of \u00c9vora, the <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/architecture-projects\/cicioso-botique-hotel\/\">Cicioso Boutique Hotel<\/a> was created through the rehabilitation of a 20th-century building, converted into a 15-room hotel.<\/p>\n<p>The intervention preserved the original structure and architectural elements such as vaulted ceilings and wooden floors, integrating them into a new hospitality programme. A winter garden introduces natural light and verticality into the heart of the social area, while the different spaces have been adapted to contemporary requirements for comfort and use.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" style=\"margin: 2em 0;\">\n<div style=\"display: flex; gap: 15px; align-items: stretch; width: 100%;\">\n<div style=\"flex: 1; display: flex; flex-direction: column;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 350px; object-fit: cover; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/cicioso-antes-1000x714.webp\" alt=\"Cicioso Boutique Hotel before its rehabilitation by MJARC Arquitetos\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 0.85em; text-align: center; margin-top: 6px; color: #666;\"><br \/>\nCicioso Boutique Hotel, before the intervention<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex: 1; display: flex; flex-direction: column;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 350px; object-fit: cover; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0274_20250204-1-1000x667.webp\" alt=\"Outdoor courtyard and swimming pool at Cicioso Boutique Hotel, an architectural project by MJARC Arquitetos in \u00c9vora\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 0.85em; text-align: center; margin-top: 6px; color: #666;\"><br \/>\nCicioso Boutique Hotel, after its rehabilitation by MJARC Arquitetos<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption style=\"text-align: center; margin-top: 12px; font-style: italic;\">Cicioso Boutique Hotel, \u00c9vora \u2014 the rehabilitation and adaptation of an existing building for a new hospitality experience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In this case, the hotel\u2019s identity does not result from applying an artificial narrative. It emerges from the continuity between the building\u2019s history, its existing materiality and the new accommodation experience.<\/p>\n<p>The project demonstrates how rehabilitation can reconcile heritage, comfort and viability, returning an existing building to use without erasing its memory.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"integrating-the-building-into-the-landscape\">\n<h2>Integrating the building into the landscape<\/h2>\n<p>In rural or environmentally sensitive territories, the positioning of the building is one of the most important decisions in a tourism project.<\/p>\n<p>Adapting the building to the topography can reduce earthworks, retaining walls and significant changes to natural drainage. Preserving mature trees and ecological corridors helps maintain habitat continuity. Concentrating the programme and limiting soil sealing can reduce the fragmentation of the landscape.<\/p>\n<p>Integration does not mean making the building invisible. It means finding a scale, materiality and form of occupation that are coherent with the place.<\/p>\n<p>This approach is particularly important in nature tourism, wine tourism and low-density hospitality projects, where the landscape is simultaneously the context, the heritage and the principal element of the guest experience.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Replace with the actual Comporta image. --><\/p>\n<p>In our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/sustainable-architecture-comporta-landscape-territory\/\">architecture, landscape and territory in Comporta<\/a>, we explain how environmental surveys, the identification of protected species and the study of natural systems can guide the placement of a building before its formal design begins.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"passive-architecture\">\n<h2>Passive architecture: comfort with fewer resources<\/h2>\n<p>In a hotel, comfort cannot depend exclusively on mechanical systems. Solar orientation, natural ventilation, thermal mass, shading and the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces must be considered from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>The principles of <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/bioclimatic-architecture-portugal\/\">bioclimatic architecture<\/a> can reduce energy requirements while improving the guest experience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Orienting occupied spaces according to solar exposure and views;<\/li>\n<li>Controlling excessive solar gains through overhangs, balconies and vegetation;<\/li>\n<li>Encouraging cross-ventilation whenever outdoor conditions allow;<\/li>\n<li>Adapting insulation and thermal mass to the local climate;<\/li>\n<li>Making use of natural light without creating glare or overheating;<\/li>\n<li>Creating transitional spaces between indoors and outdoors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When these strategies are integrated into the architecture, comfort ceases to be an effect produced solely by equipment. It becomes a spatial quality: balanced light, stable temperatures, silence, shade and contact with the landscape.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"water-energy-and-materials\">\n<h2>Water, energy and materials: designing for the entire life cycle<\/h2>\n<p>Tourism buildings have demanding patterns of use. Guest rooms, kitchens, laundries, swimming pools, spas and outdoor spaces can all consume significant amounts of water and energy.<\/p>\n<p>Portugal\u2019s Tourism Strategy 2027 established a target for more than 90% of tourism companies to adopt energy- and water-efficiency measures, as well as environmental waste-management practices. <a href=\"https:\/\/business.turismodeportugal.pt\/en\/Knowledge\/estrategia-turismo\/Estrategia_2027\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turismo de Portugal<\/a> frames these measures within a vision that combines economic, social and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>In architecture, this efficiency should be addressed as part of an integrated strategy. Possible measures include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Systems for reducing and monitoring consumption;<\/li>\n<li>Rainwater harvesting for compatible uses;<\/li>\n<li>Water-efficient equipment and fittings;<\/li>\n<li>Native or climate-adapted plant species with lower irrigation requirements;<\/li>\n<li>Renewable energy production suited to the location;<\/li>\n<li>Durable and repairable materials with controlled maintenance requirements;<\/li>\n<li>Construction solutions that allow for future adaptation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More than installing isolated technologies, it is important to understand the building\u2019s entire life cycle. A solution is only truly responsible when it considers the origin of its materials, durability, maintenance, future replacement and performance during use.<\/p>\n<h3>Vineyard Douro Hotel: landscape, production and experience<\/h3>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-16412\" src=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hotel-Douro-1000x625.webp\" alt=\"Night-time exterior view of the Vineyard Douro Hotel integrated into a hillside, with green roofs, stepped architecture and illuminated accommodation modules overlooking the vineyard\" width=\"1000\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hotel-Douro-1000x625.webp 1000w, https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hotel-Douro-768x480.webp 768w, https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hotel-Douro-1536x960.webp 1536w, https:\/\/mjarc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hotel-Douro.webp 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption>Vineyard Douro Hotel \u2014 architecture, wine production and landscape brought together in a single tourism experience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/architecture-projects\/projeto-de-arquitetura-hotel-vinico-douro\/\">Vineyard Douro Hotel<\/a>, the guest experience is directly connected to the landscape and wine production.<\/p>\n<p>The rooms are oriented towards the vineyards and the valley, while the social spaces extend the relationship with the outdoors. The programme also includes a winery, allowing guests to experience part of the winemaking process and bringing the hotel experience closer to the activity that has culturally shaped the territory.<\/p>\n<p>The project also integrates renewable energy solutions and water-efficiency strategies, including rainwater harvesting for compatible uses and wastewater treatment.<\/p>\n<p>The environmental dimension is not separate from the tourism concept. Landscape, wine, architecture and resource management all contribute to the same experience.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"biodiversity\">\n<h2>Biodiversity and ecological continuity<\/h2>\n<p>Protecting biodiversity should not be limited to the areas left undeveloped. The project itself can help restore disrupted ecological relationships.<\/p>\n<p>Green roofs, permeable surfaces, native vegetation, reduced intrusive outdoor lighting and the preservation of natural watercourses can all help minimise the impact of development.<\/p>\n<p>Plant selection should respond to the local climate and ecosystem, avoiding water-intensive gardens or species that contribute little to biodiversity. Whenever possible, the landscape should be understood as living infrastructure: it regulates temperature, retains water, creates shade, protects the soil and provides habitats.<\/p>\n<p>As we examine in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/conserving-nature-architecture-sustainable-building\/\">How Architecture Can Protect Nature<\/a>, building with less impact is not simply about reducing damage. It means looking for ways in which architecture can make a positive contribution to the ecosystem in which it is located.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"social-and-economic-dimensions\">\n<h2>Sustainable tourism is also social and economic<\/h2>\n<p>A tourism development can be efficient and still remain disconnected from the community around it.<\/p>\n<p>Sustainable tourism involves creating economic and cultural relationships that remain rooted in the territory. Architecture can support this goal by integrating local materials, knowledge and production, while also creating spaces in which local culture can be experienced without being artificially staged.<\/p>\n<p>Collaborating with local craftspeople, producers, builders and suppliers reinforces the authenticity of the development and keeps part of the investment within the regional economy. The integration of local products, gastronomy, activities and narratives can extend this relationship throughout the operational life of the project.<\/p>\n<p>However, this connection must be developed with respect. Local culture is not a visual resource available for appropriation; it is a living system composed of people, practices and memories.<\/p>\n<p>Architecture can create the setting for this encounter, but it should do so through listening, continuity and restraint.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"how-to-create-a-sustainable-tourism-project\">\n<h2>How can a sustainable tourism project be created?<\/h2>\n<p>A responsible tourism development does not result from a list of technologies added at the end of the process. It requires a coherent strategy, beginning with the choice of land or an existing building and extending through to future operation.<\/p>\n<p>Before moving forward, it is important to assess:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Can the location support the intended programme?<\/strong>The capacity of the territory, access, water availability, infrastructure and environmental constraints should be analysed before the scale of the development is defined.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can an existing building be reused?<\/strong>Rehabilitation can preserve identity, reduce material consumption and create a more distinctive experience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How can the building\u2019s position reduce its impact?<\/strong>Topography, vegetation, drainage and orientation should inform the position and form of the volumes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Which passive strategies are appropriate for the climate?<\/strong>Shade, ventilation, thermal mass and natural light should be considered before mechanical systems are selected.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What relationship will the project establish with the community and local economy?<\/strong>Materials, construction, gastronomy and activities can reinforce networks that already exist within the territory.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How will performance be measured?<\/strong>Water and energy consumption, waste production, maintenance requirements and impact on the landscape should be monitored throughout the operational life of the development.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For developers at an early stage, our article <a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/how-to-open-boutique-hotel-portugal\/\">How to Open a Boutique Hotel in Portugal<\/a> explores the relationship between concept, programme, viability, architectural design and licensing in greater detail.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"architecture-that-belongs\">\n<h2>Architecture that endures because it belongs<\/h2>\n<p>The future of tourism does not depend solely on building more accommodation. It depends on creating places capable of offering meaningful experiences without consuming the very qualities that make them desirable.<\/p>\n<p>Architecture can help achieve this balance. It can reduce energy requirements, preserve structures and ecosystems, integrate local resources and improve the relationship between guests, communities and landscapes.<\/p>\n<p>Yet its most significant contribution may be something else: revealing the identity of a place without transforming it into a generic product.<\/p>\n<p>When a project emerges from its topography, climate, materiality and memory, sustainability ceases to be merely a technical objective. It becomes part of both the experience and the viability of the development \u2014 a way of creating value that endures because it does not erase what it found.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"mjarc-cta\" aria-label=\"Contact MJARC\"><strong>Are you considering creating or rehabilitating a tourism development?<\/strong>An initial assessment of the territory and programme can help identify constraints and opportunities before the most important investment decisions are made.<a href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/contacts\/\">Contact the MJARC team<\/a>.<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about sustainable tourism and architecture<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mjarc-faq\">\n<h3>What is sustainable tourism?<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainable tourism is an approach that considers the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism, seeking to respond to the needs of visitors and businesses without compromising natural resources, local identity or the well-being of host communities.<\/p>\n<h3>How can architecture make a hotel more sustainable?<\/h3>\n<p>Through a building position adapted to the site, passive design strategies, the preservation of vegetation, water and energy efficiency, durable materials, and the integration of local culture and economic activity. These decisions should be made during the earliest stages of the project.<\/p>\n<h3>Does a sustainable hotel have higher construction costs?<\/h3>\n<p>Not necessarily. Some solutions may require a greater initial investment, but appropriate orientation, an efficient programme and passive design strategies can reduce equipment requirements, consumption and operating costs. The assessment should consider the building\u2019s entire life cycle rather than only the initial construction cost.<\/p>\n<h3>Is rehabilitation more sustainable than new construction?<\/h3>\n<p>Rehabilitation can reduce the need for new raw materials, avoid demolition and preserve the carbon already embodied in an existing structure. However, each building must be assessed individually in terms of its condition, capacity for adaptation and future performance.<\/p>\n<h3>What should be studied before selecting land for a tourism project?<\/h3>\n<p>The urban-planning framework, environmental constraints, access, topography, water resources, available infrastructure, vegetation, solar exposure, views and compatibility between the intended programme and the capacity of the territory should all be assessed.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the difference between sustainable tourism and ecotourism?<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainable tourism is a principle that can be applied to different types of accommodation and destinations, including urban hotels, rural developments and resorts. Ecotourism is more directly associated with experiences in natural areas, conservation and the interpretation of environmental heritage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/business.turismodeportugal.pt\/en\/Growing\/Sustainability\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sustainability in tourism \u2014 Turismo de Portugal<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/business.turismodeportugal.pt\/en\/Knowledge\/estrategia-turismo\/Estrategia_2027\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tourism Strategy 2027 \u2014 Turismo de Portugal<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/en\/analysis\/publications\/building-renovation-where-circular-economy-and-climate-meet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Building renovation: where circular economy and climate meet \u2014 European Environment Agency<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sustainable tourism is not built solely through reducing water consumption, improving energy efficiency or managing waste. It begins much earlier: in the choice of location, the reading of the landscape, the relationship with local communities and the way architecture transforms existing resources into an experience with identity. In a sector where different destinations compete for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/mjarc.com\/en\/sustainable-tourism-architecture\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[347],"class_list":["post-19703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arquitetura-en","tag-mjarc-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sustainable Tourism and Architecture: Creating Value | MJARC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can architecture contribute to sustainable tourism? 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