4 minute read
THE GUIDE TO
Sustainable Stays
As one of the world’s most sumptuous destinations, blessed with some of the whitest sandy beaches, pristinely clear waters and profuse marine life, The Seychelles is hugely sought after by consumers when looking to book a lavish retreat.
Yet, like many locations across the globe, this alluring archipelago of 115 islands faces significant challenges when it comes to protecting and preserving its ecology.
As the demand for a more sustainable future grows across the board, Hilton Seychelles General Manager, Daniele Fabbri, explains several of the innovative measures the resort is taking to in order to provide sustainable stays and what other hotels can take from this to contribute to a greener future within the hotel sector.
What efforts have been made across the archipelago in terms of sustainability?
that sustainability becomes a culture. There are also many marine conservation projects ongoing, contributing to coral restoration. The community are also involved as they put huge efforts in to beach cleaning, and you can’t find plastics bags at the supermarket, instead they have re-useable or biodegradable bags.
Which sustainability efforts are you most proud of?
We have done a lot at Hilton Northolme and in general with the wider Hilton brand. I am very proud of the way we have started to collaborate with the Marine Conservation Society with regards to the coral restoration. We started in 2018 with one nursery and now we are up to eight as well as three artificial reefs. The team is working very hard to make sure that the reefs and corals come back to life in the near future. Something else that fills me with pride is the introduction of our sustainability day. It is an effort that includes several activations on the first Tuesday of every month and involves commitment from team members and guests. We implement
ten activations from turning off the air conditioning in the room, to having a shower with a timer for only five minutes, sustainable menus, recycling bags and much more. As a team, we are proud of how much we have embraced environmental commitment and grown the culture within.
Can consumers help with the sustainability cause?
100%; there is a big trend around the world now and it will only continue to grow as tourists pine for destinations that do their bit to take care of the environment. They want to travel with purpose; making sure that the money being spent on trips is also used to sustain the environment. More frequently, they will be looking at spending money at local shops rather than international brands. A recent survey from the government shows that guests plans their trips in a more sustainable way, paying close attention to what they can bring along that won’t harm the ecosystem. They care about the waste they make during travels, specifically on the beach. The majority of the time when an environment is poisoned it is not only coming from the local community, it also comes from people that are travelling to and from the destination.
I think one of the most important obligations that we have as tourism specialists is communication. It is to develop and build awareness as much as possible within our team and towards our guests. The more we share what we do, the more obvious the impact of our actions become, the more awareness is generated and consequently people will understand the importance and join us. The activations that we push on our sustainable day are already making a huge difference and the reason we do this is because we have a huge responsibility as a hotel. Business is changing. Yes, our core service is selling rooms, food and beverages, but more and more we become ambassadors of a message that it is very important for the future amongst the hospitality industry and across the world.
@hiltonnortholme
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