Canadians love to escape our long, cold winters, take a winter vacation and go somewhere warm and lie on the beach, eat, drink, and not think about anything at all-inclusive resorts. Can our all-inclusive vacations be eco-friendly too? As more and more people around the globe are starting to think about eco-responsible travel, more and more resorts are coming up with solutions to be more environmentally friendly. Corporations that run these resorts are also now understanding how delicate the ecosystem is and that by tipping the balance of this they are destroying the very same beaches and oceans that bring their guests to them. They are now beginning to incorporate eco-responsible practices into their daily operations.
I've compiled a list of some resorts that are more environmentally responsible. In no particular order, these are just a few that are making big changes, but there are also lots of others.
Iberostar Resorts: This resort chain has committed to sustainability with their Wave of Change Movement. They are free of single use plastics, use responsible seafood consumption, improve their coastal health by building coral gardens, teach kids about eco-responsible values in their Star Camps, and use more food provided by local producers with responsibly sourced ingredients.
Palace Resorts: are becoming eco-responsible with efficient use of electrical energy, optimization in the use of water consumption, their restaurant's farm to table concepts and waste reduction concepts, recycling, and starting a protected natural area. Palace resorts also make their own bio-diesel with compost to fuel their tractors that collect seaweed on the beaches.
Sandos Resorts: These resorts have a policy for flora and fauna and do not allow the exploitation of animals, they have eliminated single use water bottles. The Sandos Caracol Eco Resort has gone above and beyond in respecting nature with their solar panels, water treatment plant, plant a tree program, and environmental education programs for guests and staff. They also have an onsite organic vegetable garden and compost system.
Sandals and Beaches Resorts: Sandals and Beaches have a water conservation program that monitors the amount of water used on each property for pool, guestrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and garden areas. They also have an energy management program and a waste management program. They have also implemented programs for staff awareness conducted by environmental committees, local governments, and non-government environmental organizations.
Here are some tips on how you can be sure to practice more sustainable ways to travel when you visit an all-inclusive resort.
Stay longer. Take a 2 - 3 week vacation 1 time per year rather than 2 or 3 one week vacations per year.
Look for resorts that have eco-friendly practices in place like the ones listed above
Get off the resort and support the local community. Yes, you paid to go to an all-inclusive resort but that doesn't mean that you can't go out for lunch, dinner, or drinks and support the local businesses, or go shopping in a local market instead of the hotel gift shop.
Be sure to wear reef-safe sunscreen
Take your own reusable water bottles, insulated drink mugs, and reusable straws
Avoid taking pictures with animals used for profit, or visiting parks that don't treat their animals fairly or give them enough space to live.
If you are interested in a sustainable all-inclusive vacation let me know and I will be sure to recommend the resort chains that are making the biggest impact in this area.
To book a vacation contact me: toesinthesand@tpi.ca or 403-348-1644
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