How Ecobnb was born, the adventure undertaken to improve the way we travel, to make tourism more sustainable, respectful of the environment, places, and local communities. Here, we want to share our story, who we are, and why we do it
We are Simone and Silvia, and in 2013 we decided to revolutionize our lives by creating Ecobnb: a place where responsible travelers meet eco-friendly accommodations that invest every day in a better future. This is the story of how a personal dream turned into a global movement for sustainable travel.
The project was born from our personal journey: already involved in a sustainable purchasing group, passionate about bioconstruction, organic living, and zero waste, we wanted to make better choices possible even during our travels.
Change starts with us
We realized that many things weren’t working, and ignoring them was no longer an option. So we decided to take the first step, convinced that every small action counts and can make a difference. From here comes our daily commitment: making tourism more sustainable, gentle, and respectful of the planet.
As Gandhi said:
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Where it all began
“It all started with a frustrating search: I was looking for a sustainable accommodation for a conference in Potenza, and after hours of trying, the only option was a convent.
At that moment, I realized that there was no tool to make eco-friendly tourism easy and accessible.
A few years later, while working on the Bed & Breakfast website in Parma, I experimented with a search criterion related to sustainability: it worked so well that the idea of creating a portal for all eco-friendly accommodations in Italy was born.
Thus, at the end of May 2013, ViaggiVerdi was launched, which in 2014 became Ecobnb. Today, our story continues, inspiring thousands of travelers and hosts to choose a greener way to travel.
Join us: tell your friends, book your green stay, or recommend eco-friendly accommodations you know. Every small action counts!”
Simone Riccardi, founder of Ecobnb
Ecobnb today
Ecobnb is the reference point for those seeking eco-friendly accommodations, but it’s also the right place to find all kinds of advice on:
- Slow itineraries, to explore on foot, by bike, or on horseback,
- Less-known and more authentic places, to discover sustainably,
- Traveling more consciously and respectfully towards the planet.
Tourism is one of the main causes of pollution, and Ecobnb was born to help conscious travelers find small sustainable accommodations, giving visibility to those who already work passionately for a better future. With Ecobnb, you can easily book any type of eco-friendly stay: farm stays in nature, treehouses, zero-emission lodges, or distributed hotels in ancient villages.
Every stay helps reduce consumption, waste, and CO₂ emissions, up to 8 kg per person per day, equivalent to 295 trees planted!
Growth and projects
Thanks to the European EcoDots project, Ecobnb expanded internationally, connecting eco-friendly accommodations from over 60 countries and aligning sustainability criteria with leading environmental certifications.
In 2017, the World Tourism Organization awarded us the UNWTO Award for innovation and sustainability, an important milestone that motivated us to continue innovating and strengthening our community.
During the 2020 pandemic, while global tourism came to a halt, awareness grew of how our well-being is closely connected to the planet’s well-being. We continued supporting eco-friendly accommodations with workshops, online training, and a catalog of green suppliers, turning a crisis into an opportunity for growth and sustainability.
In recent years, we have launched concrete projects for nature: planting native trees with farm stays and guardian farmers, and creating centuries-old forests in Italy, which travelers can visit and support through Ecobnb gift cards.
Join us
With Ecobnb, we want to show that a different kind of tourism is possible, one that respects the planet and its inhabitants. Every sustainable choice, every conscious journey, every eco-friendly accommodation we visit together is a step toward a better world.
Will you join us?
Page updated September 2025