The BroadCAST

The response and feedback to our re-designed and re-launched BroadCAST last January was very engaging and we thank our trusted friends and clients for keeping CAST on the radar. We can only improve if you help us to and hence we encourage you to continue to send us your comments.

Many of you have asked about our restructuring exercise during the past year and a half and how CAST will now deliver its services to the region. We have trained a number of highly qualified technical service affiliates (TSAs) in the delivery of our services. (For a complete list see http://www.cha-cast.com/Awards%20and%20Certification%20Programs.htm and http://www.greenglobe21.com/SupportServices.aspx?ContactTypeID=3) Many of these young professionals are well known to the industry and are based in Caribbean territories (e.g. Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic). This helps us respond to your requests in a timely manner and at much lower costs, whist at the same time developing a capability in the country and in the region. Significantly, these professionals are all certified by Green Globe 21 to serve either as consultants to properties developing environmental management systems (EMSs) or certifying to the Green Globe 21 Standard and we highly recommend them.

Just some of the ways that CAST is evolving to serve you better. It’s your paradise and our Mission. So broadcast our good news to your friends and colleagues!

Cheers,

Deirdre P. Shurland

This feature article focuses on sustainable tourism certification. Your comments on are welcome and should be sent to cast@caribbeanhotels.org.

Most Green Globe 21 (GG21) certified properties in the region would admit to having improved their property’s environmental performance and stimulated the creative spirits of their staff as a result of this certification. In a survey undertaken by CAST in October 2003, an overwhelming 97% of respondents confirmed that this was indeed so. Still the following question is asked by many in the region: “what is the point of certification?

In the early years of its existence, CAST promulgated the view that certification made sense from the standpoint of saving on consumption of energy and water resources and that this could significantly improve upon a hotel’s “bottom line” as well as the environmental performance of the operation. Data returned from various monitoring surveys have proved unequivocally these claims to be true. According to data from the EAST project in Jamaica courtesy PA Consulting Group, the largest opportunity for savings in energy and water consumption is realized within the first two years of implementing an EMS, with the return on investment being at least twice the initial costs. This surely reflects the transition from a largely inefficient to a more efficient operation.

An EMS is fundamentally a management system which provides the business with an operational framework that is designed to empower employees to be responsible for their own environmental behaviours and actions. It is also based on the principle that employees are involved in the decision-making process and hence have a stake in the success and performance of the business. In other words, they are the “owners” of their functional processes. This principle requires an enlightened and forward-thinking management or hotel owner that is prepared to share management authority and responsibility with special teams – a big step for many “indigenous” hoteliers who have established a long history of successful operations based on a top-down, hierarchical management approach.

Herein frequently lies the difficulty of selling certification schemes to many hotel owners. Unless the chief executive or EMS ‘champion’ can believe in and foster this ‘radical’ approach to managing properties, the move towards certification will remain painful and largely resisted by management and staff.

As CAST and other hotels in the region have now realized, certification (of the EMS) has also resulted in many more comprehensive operational changes with tangible benefits accruing to the property. These changes include the development of a new business outlook and work ethic with a particular focus on the control of environmental impacts.

Apart from this, the persistent problem with getting properties large and small to adopt certification labels such as Green Globe 21 is the perceived lack of its global recognition and awareness in key tourist markets. These labels have promised much by way of recognition but remain largely unable to deliver because of their current focus on the technical aspects of assessment and certification and the challenges of running a viable operation. Reportedly, these are also the common problems that many certification labels throughout Europe have traditionally experienced. CAST is addressing this problem of market recognition in its environmental leadership and performance (HELP) program which is designed to promote and recognize the performance achievements of participating hotels. HELP is based on properties implementing an EMS with the key difference being that this program promotes and recognizes the key milestones achieved along the way. Further details of CAST’s HELP program are available on our website at www.cha-cast.com and there will be more details provided in future issues of the BroadCAST.

In spite of the above-mentioned challenges, EMS and certification are here to stay. The World Tourism Organization convened a meeting and conference in Brazil during September 2003 which launched the "Network of Sustainable Tourism Certification of the Americas" coordinated by the Rainforest Alliance. CAST attended this meeting and conference and serves as the Caribbean region liaison. The objectives of the network are to promote collaboration between its members and the adoption of sustainable tourism certification in the various countries. Information on the network can be accessed at www.ra.org/news/archives/news/news79.htm

EMS is rapidly evolving to be the defining mark for businesses that are performing according to expectations, i.e. ones that can predictably control their operations and adequately prepare for unexpected events and emergencies. This is the standard that tour operator groups and visitors have come to expect in hotels worldwide and the Caribbean is no exception. It is what can most often guarantee a tranquil, unspoiled, uniquely Caribbean-style experience of paradise. Apart from meeting efficiency objectives and improving the business’ bottom line, EMS ensures a balanced focus on sustainability. As William Clay Ford Jr. says, “I believe the distinction between a good company and a great one is this: A good company delivers excellent products and services; a great one delivers excellent products and services and strives to make the world a better place.” So how does your operation stack up?

CAST commends the following hotels for their outstanding commitment and achievements in making their properties more sustainable operations.

Tiamo Resorts: Designed, constructed and operated in the most environmentally sensitive manner possible, Tiamo Resorts is pioneering a new standard in resort development. Tiamo’s shining achievement (the pun is intended) is their electricity generating system. Tiamo has the largest solar electricity generating system owned and operated by a private, tourism facility in the Caribbean and Latin America. With a daily electricity generating capacity of over 130,000 watts and a battery storage facility totaling 4,075 amp hours, Tiamo is the first full service resort with the entire operation utilizing 100% alternative energy for its electrical needs. In addition, All hot water is created using passive, thermal hot water heaters. No electricity or gas is used, as the sun heats the water.

Another impressive aspect of Tiamo is its wastewater treatment program. Black water waste (one of the most detrimental wastes to near shore tropical water ecosystems) is dealt with using low flush, composting toilets. Unlike the common perception, these toilets (from the bathroom perspective) are basically a normal toilet, a nice ceramic bowl using water and a one-pint, low flush system. Utilizing the natural talents of microorganisms, the waste is broken down into a healthy organic peat, which is used throughout the property in plant beds. There is no negative residual product to affect the shallow fresh water table or the adjacent marine ecosystems. Grey water, the wastewater from the showers, sinks, and laundry, is sent through a screen filter system for cleansing and diverted to plant beds, many of which provide food to the resort. The kitchen grey water is sent through a leach pit of dirt, sand, and rock for more efficient filtering and cleansing.

In addition to guest and community education Tiamo has created several unique ways of reducing and reusing waste. Not only does the property purchase in bulk, but it also purchases as much as possible from local suppliers and grows some of their own produce and fruits for even greater environmental efficiency. Also, Tiamo refrains from buying products that are over-harvested such as grouper, conch, and lobster. Food and garden waste are composted on property and those paper products that can not be reused are burned and the ashes are used for fertilizer. Perhaps their most creative endeavor is its method for recycling plastic. Because there is no local means for plastic recycling, Tiamo has decided to use their guests to complete their plastic recycling effort. Tiamo neatly cleans and packages their plastic waste in convenient bundles for guests to take back with them to their home recycling program.

For more information on Tiamo Resorts see their website: http://www.tiamoresorts.com

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Playa Naco Golf and Tennis Resort: Located in the Dominican Republic, Playa Naco has gone to great effort to bring its local heritage onto its property and to its guests. The hotel recently created La Casita, which means little house. The Casita is essentially a recreation of a typical house of the Northern region and it represents the life of the people, especially the fieldworkers.

Around the Casita, there is a traditional Conuco, a plantation of fruits and vegetables of short cycle. The crops of the small plantation are: sugar banana, maize, yucca, yautía, beans, coffee, cacao, cane, among others. All these fruits are identified in both Spanish and English with the name whereupon they are known in the region. Inside the Casita we there is always an employee working dressed like a lady of the clothes field or farmer, preparing and serving strained coffee, hot chocolate, fresh juice, and other sweets to the guests.

Leading Lights are Caribbean leaders who have made significant achievements in the environmental and social performance at their properties. Each 'Leading Light' was interviewed about their leadership and philosophy and these are their words:

"Casuarina is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Getting up in the morning and going to work is easy in such a healthy, serene and peaceful environment! Everyday brings new opportunities to improve our environmental performance and to share our experiences. By involving the staff in the process, we encourage them constantly, to bring new ideas to the table and get involved in the promotion of the hotel and it’s policies. And above all we have fun doing it! Our most rewarding achievements have been receiving the CTO “Sustainable Tourism Award” and the induction into the CHA Green Hotel Hall of Fame. Casuarina has achievable goals: to always look for new ideas, to constantly be the best we can be at what we do, to share information and to encourage others to follow our lead and to get world wide recognition for our achievements."

"My motivation to continue to pursue excellence lies in my desire to protect and conserve environmental resources as well as to reduce costs. Our staff remain interested because we continually keep them informed of what we are doing and aware of what is achieved. So far, our most rewarding achievement has been the installation of a landscape grey water irrigation system. Blue Waters short-term goals are to increase the production of solar generated hot water and our long-term goals are to work in conjunction with other on-island agencies to achieve much improved solid waste management."

"I don't really think that marketing is foremost in most people's minds when they first apply for certification. Cost savings is the real carrot. Inevitably a true Green Hotel will reach a point where it is no longer saving money since it is operating at it's optimum cost level. This is where the marketing comes in. Unfortunately we have not yet realized the true marketing potential of Green Certification...we need to raise awareness among the holiday traveler of the contribution the Green Certified hotels are making to the preservation and protection of the environments these visitors love so much...We must also promote the other important benefits of certification which cannot be quantified in monetary terms such as the increased health and safety of both guests and staff. Green hotels train their staff in how to live the "green life" so that they can extend the benefits to their own homes and in turn raise a new generation of environmentally conscious people. Inevitably it rubs off on the guests too!"

"The BroadCAST is an excellent source of information... you give a great overview of the different ways that we can get involved to encourage proper development. I would like to see more information related to businesses that offer environmentally-friendly products or services. Great job!" - Carlos Soto Seijo

CAST encourages readers to send in comments and feedback on BroadCAST articles, news and achievements from your properties, or with your own questions or concerns, All submissions should be emailed to cast@caribbeanhotels.org