Be a greener guest, LUX*03
Holly Tuppen shares her eco wisdom and a few simple tips on how to enjoy more environmentally friendly escapades, wherever you are in the world.
From five-star private villas to thatch-roofed beach huts, my favourite places to stay have one thing in common: they teem with enthusiasm and passion. The food they serve, the experiences they conjure, the people they host and the land they inhabit, are all special. The best hoteliers take matters into their own hands when it comes to ensuring their hospitality bene ts rather than inhibits local communities and the environment, leaving their guests to do what they do best – indulge. That said, everyone can be mindful about what’s best for the world we all live in, and going green is no longer the preserve of hessian-wearing compost-toilet enthusiasts. Considering the environment and treading lightly means appreciating the link between your travel experiences and the people, ora and fauna that not only surround them, but make them possible in the rst place.
Published in LUX* 03, December 2016
Every drop counts Water scarcity is inching up the chart of serious global problems, with demand projected to exceed supply by a staggering 40 per cent by 2030. Almost a quarter of the world’s population lives in areas of water scarcity, including large parts of Asia and Africa. LUX* does its bit to conserve water behind the scenes (for example, watering gardens with grey water, and raising awareness about water wastage through in-room information), but it’s also worth personally going the extra mile. This might mean avoiding water in plastic bottles, drinking glasses of your H2O poured from big bottles instead of small servings, and reducing laundry, such as towels, whenever you can, or choosing a shower rather than a bath.
Oceans of plastic Plastic bags are killing sea creatures; discarded bottles and containers are choking island communities; even microscopic polymers in sun creams are killing coral... However much we hear about the problem, convenience remains king. A levy on plastic bags in supermarkets has made an impressive reduction in their use in the UK, so too can a few simple steps on holiday stave o land ll disasters and ocean destruction. Consider removing packaging before travelling; take a reusable shopping bag and reusable water bottle – that tropical island paradise, mountain idyll or nature reserve is great for lots of things, but disposing of excess trash is not one of them.
Knowledge is power That shing boat you Instagrammed? Busy catching your sashimi. The kick in your cocktail? Care of indigenous herbs grown lovingly in the kitchen garden. That cute co ee table in the bar? It may have been handcra ed by a social enterprise down the road. Experiences are heightened by a little background knowledge, so always seek it out. If your new best friend is a leatherback turtle that circles your over-water villa every morning, ask the dive centre why they are endangered and what you can do to help. The more we are intrigued about provenance, human rights and the environment, the better practice across the board – and so the big circle of love thrives.
Offsetting jet-setting Hotels o en invite guests to nancially enhance their environmental and charitable goals. Although it can grate to feel as though you’ve paid additional cash for no tangible reason, if you’re ying across the world on your holiday, funding carbon reduction is a tiny price to pay for your global freedom. Carbon-o setting schemes not only help reduce the carbon emissions of a hotel or resort but have additional economic and environmental bene ts, such as forests being planted and jobs created.
LUX* Resorts & Hotels has embarked on a journey towards a carbon-clean future, known as ‘Tread Lightly’. Working with Ecosur Afrique, LUX* asks for a voluntary donation of €1 per room night – 32.5 per cent of which goes towards carbon-off setting projects in LUX* regions while 67.5 per cent is invested in reducing the carbon emissions of LUX* properties. Other earth-friendly measures employed by LUX* include energy-management systems, in-house water bottling, locally sourced ‘Earth & Dance’ waters, paper-reducing technology such as iPad room and reservation services, low-carbon Scrucap wines, all-organic spa rituals, energy-e cient LED lighting, and kitchen-oil recycling. Further renewable-energy projects and water-optimisation programmes are inthe pipeline.
