SUSTAINABILITY
PHILOSOPHY
To manage and act in the most sustainable way possible—this is the principle from which the sustainability strategy of Casa Costa 1956 originates. For us, sustainability means thinking long-term, acting conscientiously, and encouraging a continuous process of evolution in harmony with people and the environment around us.
Economic stability, responsibility towards the community, and environmental protection form an inseparable trio that we continue to pursue with determination and a 360-degree perspective. We acknowledge the complexity and we are fully committed to making progress.
Before making decisions, we carefully consider the likely impact on the community, on the environment, on the future development of our sector. Consistency in all of this is often the greatest challenge. We find it is a process of trial and error—sometimes we set ourselves ambitious goals that we struggle to achieve; or we struggle with translating our ideas into concrete actions. But what keeps driving us is the conviction that beauty and justice are born from the sharing of ideas and mutual empowerment, and that great results are achieved step by step.
All of our properties are located in UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Dolomites and the Val d’Orcia. This motivates us even more to be active in protecting and preserving a cultural and natural environment that is unique in the world—where tourism may represent a risk factor, but which we want to transform into a positive force.
In the Dolomites, we work closely with the Alta Badia Tourist Cooperative and the San Vigilio – San Martino Tourist Cooperative, both certified by the GSTC for sustainable tourism. In 2025, Hotel La Perla received GSTC certification. Our goal is to increase the number of Casa Costa properties certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
We are guided by the theory of the Economy for the Common Good, an economic model that places a business’ contribution to the community at its core—moving away from profit as the sole measure of a company's success.
We want to be multipliers of a vision of business and tourism that promotes responsible hospitality that respects both people and the environment. Our goal is to create awareness, using tourism as a tool to improve quality of life.
BEST PRACTICE
We are working on a number of ideas and projects to improve our corporate sustainability. Below are some of the most important actions we’ve already taken or are currently implementing:
We are a quintessential family business. In 1956, Anni and Ernesto Costa founded La Perla in Corvara. Today, seventy years later, the hotels are four, but the family remains one—and we want it to stay that way for generations, building a future for the community and with the community.
Costa Family Foundation: Our nonprofit organization, founded in 2007, supports and protects the rights of children worldwide. Through the foundation and with the help of our properties, we support empowerment projects both in the Global South and locally. For each night’s stay at La Perla, €2 goes to support these projects; at La Posta, Berghotel Ladinia, and Alpine Hotel Gran Fodá, €1 is donated per night.
Economy for the Common Good: All our properties operate according to the values of this model: human dignity, solidarity, and justice, ecological sustainability, transparency, and participatory decision-making. These values guide our daily actions and choices. In 2019, Hotel La Perla completed its Common Good Balance Sheet, scoring 420 out of 1,000 points. In 2025, we completed one for Hotel La Posta, which is not yet certified, scoring 325 out of 1,000.
GSTC certification: In 2025, Hotel La Perla was certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council—marking the culmination of a long journey toward more conscious and sustainable tourism. It wasn’t easy, but we did it, knowing the certification is just the first step toward ongoing sustainability investments.
Corporate carbon footprint: In 2024, we began measuring our corporate carbon footprint. The goal is to assess emissions across the group and gradually reduce these. It’s work in progress—a big challenge we embrace with resilience and determination for the good of the planet.
Inclusivity and gender equality: These are not optional for us. Together with our HR department, we are working on a strategy to make our work environment increasingly inclusive and fair. Currently, 48% of our workforce are women, with 21 women and 23 men in managerial roles (2025 data).
Sustainable purchasing code of conduct: For over ten years, we've been committed to managing our supply chain ethically. Introduced in 2015, our Code is based on three principles: proximity (choosing the closest suppliers), environmental respect (favoring natural, biodynamic, and organic products), and excluding products that violate human or environmental rights.
One successful example is the Charis fruit juice line at Hotel La Perla—biodynamic juices made exclusively from local ingredients and manual labor, inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s principles.
Another is the courtesy line used in our Dolomites properties: produced by the “Farmacia di Dobbiaco,” it uses only natural ingredients, with refillable packaging made from “I am Green” Baskem-certified plastic, eliminating single-use portions and reducing waste.
Incö – the table that serves the day’s harvest: At our Michelin-starred restaurant La Stüa de Michil, Incö is a pop-up table celebrating food’s intrinsic value. The concept by Chef Simone Cantafio emphasizes the Earth’s vitality and features only seasonal, local, and naturally produced ingredients—nothing more, nothing less. More info: La Stüa de Michil - Incö, a dinner in three acts
Meat-free Fridays: Every Friday, in all our restaurants, the menu of the day is meat free. Instead, we propose dishes featuring vegetables or sustainably caught fish. The goal is not to eliminate meat, but to raise awareness. We avoid meat from intensive farming—which consume vast amounts of water and land, emit large amounts of methane, and fail to respect animal welfare. One kilogram of meat can consume up to 15,000 liters of water.
Energy efficiency: The Alpine Hotel Gran Fodá is a certified Klimahaus-A building, meaning it uses no more than 30 kWh per square meter annually. In simpler terms, it’s designed to consume minimal resources while offering maximum comfort.
Raising awareness: Michil Costa’s main focus is promoting a new form of tourism—one that goes beyond mass tourism, advocating for responsible, conscious, and human-centered hospitality. On this subject, he has written a book, Futurismo, a heartfelt appeal against tourism monoculture, published by Edition Raetia. (www.raetia.com)
These are just some of the actions we implement across our properties, because we believe that a company’s primary goal should be its contribution to the common good—and to shared well-being.
