Born to lead

Jamaica ahead of Caribbean in pursuit of sustainable tourism operations

Deidre Shurland, Contributor

THE TITLE is not intended to be a cliché but an acknowledgement of the performance and leadership of an island best known for its tourism products. The Jamaican hotel sector is world renowned for its embrace of environmental best practices and sustainable tourism initiatives accounting for 33 per cent of all tourism businesses (i.e., hotels and tourism
attractions) certified to the Green Globe 21 Standard (GG21) in the world, and 58 per cent of
all such certifications in the Caribbean. The latter is illustrated in Figure 1.

UNDERSTANDING GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

What is Green Globe 21 (GG21)? It is a global standard developed for travel and tourism businesses, which evolved from the principles of Agenda 21. Many may remember the landmark United Nations Conference on Environment and Development convened in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (otherwise known as the Earth Summit), from which a global program of action ­ Agenda 21­ was formulated.

The GG21 Standard has adopted this programme of action and defined key performance areas against which a tourism business operation is assessed. These range from the emission of green house gases to consumption and management of water and energy resources, treatment and handling of solid and liquid wastes generated by the business, and its ability to enhance the livelihoods of adjacent communities. Taken all together, these performance areas demonstrate the fidelity of top business managers to the ideals of responsible corporate stewardship of the nation's heritage.

Paying lip service to such ideals is commonplace. Actively demonstrating commitment through deliberate action requires visionary leadership, risk-taking, commitment of resources and extraordinary patience. While these factors are frequently cited by some as the reasons for the lack of interest in certification by hoteliers, they also distinguish those tourism businesses that have delivered a well sought after, award winning and felicitous tourism product and experience.

Who are the performers? In Jamaica, there are about 30 large and small certified properties and attractions too numerous to discuss in detail here. However, the example of the Sandals Group of hotels is deserving of mention.

Since 2002 and beginning with a key decision of its top management followed by a clearly defined mission, this hotel group set itself on a course to "... being among the most environmentally responsible and community friendly groups in the hospitality industry."

Perhaps more spectacular are some of the reported savings in consumption attained by the group:

* 50 million gallons of water saved in two months.

* 3.7 million kWh of electricity conserved in one month.

* Reduction in LPG and diesel use by 58,000 gallons in four months.

* Reduction in solid waste generation by two million kg.

At the cost of utility and other services in Jamaica, most can calculate the overall cost savings to the group (over J$120 million) achieved in less than one year! Many of their hotels have also copped regional environmental awards with Sandals Inn and Beaches Boscobel awarded the 2004 CHA/AMEX Green Hotels of the Year Award (small and large categories respectively).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* The Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) is a subsidiary of the Caribbean Hotel Association and a not-for-profit established in 1997 to promote responsible environmental and social management of natural and heritage resources within the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry.