The Greening of the Travel Industry

By Melanie Reffes

With some of the finest reefs on earth, crystal-clear water and endless shorelines of sugary sand, the Caribbean is attracting the particular attention of environmentalists, who wish to ensure the sustainability of the region’s tourism product. As more and more travelers opt for stays in eco-astute properties, the goal is to make “green” the norm, not the expensive alternative.

Organizations such as Green Globe International and the new kid on the block, Green Hotel Certification are working with properties throughout the region to bring them up to current green standards, which means more than a recycling bin and a ceiling fan. From lodges in the woods to uber-luxe suites on the beach, following are some of the top green properties in the Caribbean.

Aruba
Fronting 14 palm-studded acres along Eagle Beach, the European-designed Bucuti Beach Resort and Tara Beach Suites has made the environment a priority. With Green Globe certification for the sixth consecutive year, rooms and suites are equipped with energy saving lamps, insulation systems that retain cool air and ozone machines that leave a fragrant scent without the use of chemical sprays. Locally made Aruba Aloe toiletries are standard room amenities.

Owners Ewald and Susan Biemans are the driving forces behind the eco-efforts, employing an on-property Green Team that encourages guest participation in resort-sponsored beach cleanups and projects that monitor the giant leatherback turtle that lays its eggs on the beach from March to October.

“American travelers are choosing a property based on the eco-safeguards in place,” Ewald Biemans says. “Climate change and high fuel prices at home are creating a very eco-astute generation of tourists.”


Bahamas
On South Andros Island, steps away from the crystal waters of South Bight, Tiamo was the first full-service resort in the Caribbean to use only solar field powering for its electrical needs. Wastewater is recycled, low-flush toilets create fertilizer, and all non- reusable paper is burned with the ashes also used as fertilizer. White reflective roofs and an open-design make air conditioning unnecessary.

Surrounded by 125 acres of natural forest, stays in the 11 beachside bungalows include biologist-guided nature tours, such as snorkeling through the blue holes and coral reefs; hiking through the ecosystems and a behind-the-Scenes look at the solar water heaters and water wells. Staffers also teach classes in iguana and turtle protection.


Barbados
Opened this year, the 267-room Casuarina Beach Resort on the white sands of Maxwell beach is the fifth property in the Almond chain of all-inclusives. With resort-wide Green Globe certification (Barbados and St. Lucia), Almond has long demonstrated a consistent eco-sensitivity. The newest property near Bridgetown is already a leader in the preservation of endangered sea turtles, which nest on Casuarina Beach.   

Set on nine acres of tropical forest, the resort operates solely within its own ecosystem and composts almost all of its waste, allowing it to maintain the landscape without chemically enhanced topsoil. Solar power heats the water, and the lighting system operates on photo cells. “It is simply good business to pay close attention to our surroundings, says Ralph Taylor, the chairman.

Department heads are given extensive training to ensure corporate environmental objectives are met.


Cayman Islands
In Grand Cayman, the 365-room Ritz-Carlton, set on 144 acres from the Caribbean to the North Sound, sets the gold standard for both luxury and an unrivalled commitment to the environment. The Ambassadors of the Environment program, created by preservationist Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, has opened its programs to islanders as well as guests of the property.

Situated in the on-site Ambassadors Heritage House and modeled on a traditional Cayman cottage, the resorts offers participants a chance to learn about the environment through interactive exhibits and hands-on adventures. Activities include a weekly reef survey using underwater writing slates to record marine life and a turtle tag program that tracks the movements of the endangered creature by monitoring nesting sites. On-property green initiatives include window shades made from bamboo that keep heat out while allowing light to come in and furniture made from woven wicker with hemp cushions. Moreover, artwork throughout the property is created from damaged pieces of a traditional Caymanian house.

Grenada
With its own desalinization plant and a strong ‘reduce, reuse, renew’ mindset, AAA Four-Diamond Spice Island Beach Resort is a lot more than just a pretty face. Blending environmental ethos with practicality, the elegant 64-room all-inclusive that fronts the spectacular Grand Anse beach was the first property in Grenada to be Green Globe certified and continues its commitment to the environment without compromising the luxury vacation experience.

Green initiatives include solar rooftop heaters, compact fluorescent bulbs, grinding of used bath soap to make laundry detergent, composting of the vegetable gardens, and clean-ups of the reefs and the surrounding Mourne Rouge area. “We are proud of our environmental efforts and how they make a difference in our operation,” says Sir Royston Hopkin, owner and chairman of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), a position he has held for five years. “I consider our resort a true trendsetter in the growing ‘green’ marketplace.”
As of Dec. 15, the resort became entirely smoke-free.

Jamaica
In Ocho Rios, the British Colonial-inspired and Green Globe certified Sandals Royal Plantation takes environmentalism seriously. The 74-room oceanfront property has incorporated sustainable practices into daily life both at the resort and in the surrounding communities. Paper is recycled, shredded and donated to Wassi Arts – a local pottery company that uses it for packing art objects; printer ink cartridges are given to Caribbean Ink which turns the old ones into new ones; and plastic bottles and aluminum cans are sent to the Jamaica Unified Recycling Company.
On-site environmental managers oversee programs that reduce energy and water consumption, improve wastewater disposal, and protect marine life including the coral reefs, turtles and dolphins.

Every Sandals and Beaches Resort in Jamaica, Antigua, Turks & Caicos and St. Lucia is Green Globe certified.

St Lucia
Eco-savvy from top to bottom, Discovery at Marigot Bay on the picturesque west coast achieved an environmental milestone with the launch of the Caribbean’s first solar powered ferry. Designed and built by a naval architect, the Sunshine Express is a clean, quiet and energy-efficient craft and the latest in a long list of environmentally friendly initiatives adopted by the resort.

“We have always tried to do our best to protect this bay described by James Michener as the most beautiful in the Caribbean,” says owner Judith Verity, who initiated the building of the ferry. Other eco-sustainable measures include a high-tech sewage system that filters grey water so nothing goes into the bay, a beach regeneration program and the recycling of used cooking oil, which is converted to fuel by local farmers and used to power farm machinery.
Advise clients to pack a DEET-based repellent for evening strolls and midnight martinis; the resort does not use toxic pesticides to control insects.

St Vincent and the Grenadine
Ringed by five beaches and traversed by a tapestry of nature trails, Palm Island in the Grenadines is an eco-chic hideaway appealing to tourists who want more from a vacation than a suntan. Without TVs or telephones, the 135-acre retreat relies on Mother Nature to keep guests entertained.

Owned by Elite Island resorts, which also has the Windjammer Landing Beach Resort in St. Lucia, Galley Bay Resort and St. James’s Club in Antigua, attention to the environment is paramount, with all four properties certified green by the California-based Green Hotel Certification. “Elite Island Resorts demonstrated great commitment by choosing a certification program that sends auditors to each property for detailed inspections and then monitors the properties continually,” says Guido Bauer, CEO of Green Hotel Certification. Organic waste is given to local farmers, only biodegradable products are used, products from endangered species are banned and a carbon offset program is in place at all resorts. Also, the workforce is more than 95 percent local.

U.S. Virgin Islands
The granddad dy of Caribbean sustainability dates back to 1976, when “eco-astute” was just a buzzword and Stanley Selengut opened Maho Bay Camps on 14 acres bordering Virgin Islands National Park in St. John. Selengut set the property on platforms within the forest so the plants and animals could continue to exist undisturbed. He also made sure the nearby beach and coral reef remained undamaged.

With rates from $80 per night, Maho Bay is one of the region's best values. It offers 114 screened-in tent cabins connected by a network of stairs and boardwalks along a hillside overlooking the bay. Not for everyone, there is no air-conditioning and sugar-eating Banana Quit birds and iguanas may camp outside your room. The camp also runs St. John’s only recycling program and operates the Trash to Treasures Art Center, where guests take classes in everything from jewelry design using used bottles to papermaking from shredded office paper.

Maho has a new, more upscale eco-sister on St. John called the Concordia Eco-Tents, with rates starting at $105 per night.

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