One Bahamian resort has recently been recognized for its sustainability practices, and another is on the path towards similar recognition, but action on sustainability in the tourism industry must be more focused in The Bahamas and the Caribbean as a whole, according to sustainability expert Denaye Hinds.
Hinds spoke with Guardian Business about sustainable tourism at an industry meeting in Puerto Rico, where she spoke in her official capacity as the Technical Director of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST). She said the region must act: implement specific programs, seek out those programs that will boost efficiency, focus on the cost-savings of sustainability.
"We (at CAST) are hoping to be more of a resource for our hotel and tourism enterprises. You see a lot of movement, and the Caribbean has been designated a sustainable tourism zone. We do have the sustainable destination program that's in play through Sustainable Travel International (STI) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), which is a great partnership at the destination management level, and then CAST is following up at the tourism enterprise level, so you have the top-down and the bottom-up approach from both organizations and from the private and public sectors," she said.
"So we definitely are taking it seriously."
Hinds also highlighted some of the different forms of sustainability that lead to "green practices" including social responsibility - that is, ensuring community involvement, that locals are hired, that resorts buy local produce, support neighboring schools or social activities and the like.
"I could go on for days, but at the end of the day, I do think that because we have been designated a sustainable tourism zone, it is more of a requirement for us to really start seeking out those options and actionable items. I think that all starts with training and education, both from the organizations that exist within the region and from the tourism enterprises that are local. It involves them reaching out to us so that we know what they need to move the sustainability agenda forward and keep that designation and allow it to grow."
Bahamian Resort Sustainability
Hinds discussed some of the work she had done with Embrace Resort in Staniel Cay, from the development and construction of the resort, ensuring that they used sustainable products, managing their waste because the waste solutions on Staniel Cay are very limited, looking at the cost benefit ratio of their water setup (reverse osmosis).
"They were considering doing a restaurant, and we gave them information about fog, grease, waste and composting, which is very important. (We looked) at environmentally friendly products, where they could source them, being mindful of their carbon footprint," she said.
She gave a very thorough listing of the areas covered with Embrace.
"We discussed programs and their communications to guests about what it is they are doing (to be environmentally and socially responsible)... That was really a good experience," Hinds said.
She has also worked with Memories Grand Bahama Resort & Spa to audit the resort's sustainability management systems: the audit included recommendations and training for the system, aimed at helping the resort achieve certification under the "green globe" banner.
"They completed the audit in December, and I am happy to say that they are now certified," Hinds said.
Memories became one of only to Green Globe certified resorts in The Bahamas, the other being SuperClubs Breezes. Green Globe is a global certification for sustainable tourism. Membership is reserved for companies and organizations who are committed to making positive contributions to people and planet.
Hinds reported that she had also been able to meet with the Ministry of Tourism's point man on sustainable tourism on Grand Bahama, Andre Cartwright, and expressed optimism about the ability of the island to employ sustainability practices widely as it continues to grow.
"There are a lot of amazing avenues and opportunities for Freeport as an island to be more sustainable: their waste and the operation that they have there, even though they are landfilling - its a very responsible operation. There is a lot of promise there, a lot of opportunity (for the wider island), and they are taking it very seriously," Hinds said.
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