As I sit here on a pristine beach in the Caribbean, sipping on a refreshing umbrella drink and enjoying the cool breeze, I can’t help but think about the impact that tourism has on our planet.
Okay, I confess, I’m actually watching the hunks in their trunks stroll by, but in my more sober moments, I do actually think about important things. Sometimes.
I decided this was important enough to interrupt my hunk-watching, to tell you about Club Med’s new eco-tourism initiatives.
Check PricesClub Med launched the concept of “all inclusive” over 70 years ago, and they’ve been providing luxury vacations to travelers all over the world. But they’ve also recognized the importance of preserving the planet for future generations.Recently they’ve taken a proactive approach to minimize their impact on the environment by implementing eco-friendly practices in all their resorts.
Some of the Club Med Sustainability Program includes:
- Locally sourced food: Club Med partners with local farmers and suppliers to source fresh and healthy ingredients, which helps to reduce the carbon emissions that are produced when food is transported long distances. Additionally, using local ingredients means that guests are able to enjoy fresh, healthy meals that are unique to the region they’re visiting.
- Recycling program: They have implemented a recycling program in all their resorts, which helps to reduce the amount of waste that’s produced and diverts materials from landfills.
- Water conservation: Club Med has installed water-saving devices in all their rooms, which helps to conserve water, a precious resource in many parts of the world.
- Expanding their “Bye Bye Plastics” program: Starting in 2018, Club Med has now banned single-use plastic products from bars, restaurants and rooms, and swapped out small-sized toiletries available in their bathrooms with large reusable containers in most Club Med resorts, they’ve also replaced plastic water bottles available in restaurants and rooms with glass receptacles, recycled plastic bottles or other solutions.
- Sustainable building practices: Club Med uses sustainable building practices in their resorts, such as using eco-friendly building materials and designing buildings to optimize natural lighting and ventilation. They’ve also installed solar panels and wind turbines in many of their resorts, which not only reduces their carbon footprint but also provides a sustainable source of energy and reduces their reliance on fossil fuels.
- Community involvement: Club Med is actively involved in local communities and works to support social and economic development initiatives in the regions where they operate.
- Eco-friendly nature activities and programs: Like their Clean Art Planet, a workshop of artistic and manual creation from plastic objects thrown back by the sea: to raise awareness through art and action….predominantly geared for kids, but anyone can join the fun.
Now, some may say that this is not a new trend, hotels have for many years been conserving water and reducing chemical use by asking guests to not request clean sheets and towels daily – which is true…..that practice has been cost-free to the hotels and benefitted them greatly with their bottom line.
But the efforts that Check PricesClub Med has made to reduce their impact on the environment, addressing not only environmental concerns but also social and economic issues, involved actual investment on their part. Nice.
It’s clear that they’ve taken their commitment to sustainability seriously, and I’m happy to see that other travel brands are stepping up to do likewise. Club Med’s eco-tourism initiatives prove that it’s possible to enjoy luxurious vacations while also protecting our planet.
Sophia
“Never trust a drink without an umbrella in it.”
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