Recommend November 2013 - (Page 32)

caribbean The Greening OF THE CARIBBEAN is green the new black? ed wetschler Seagrape Beach Suite at Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, whose landscape is made up of native plants. This eco-consciousness is a win-win-win for travelers, hotels and the environment. When, for example, guests re-use towels (a practice that started in the 1990s but took a while to trickle down), they feel good, the hotels save money, and there's less stress on water and energy resources. Sweet. But how does this beneﬁt travel agents? First, understand that "green" (aka sustainable, eco-friendly, environmentally beneﬁcial, conservation-oriented...) covers a lot of issues: sustainable energy Almost every month there seems to be a Caribbean conference on alternative or renewable energy, and this is spurring concrete actions. In October, St. Kitts pressed START on a new solar energy farm, and the Dominican Republic's Cibao (Santiago) airport will soon produce so much solar power it will have excess to sell. Energy-generating windmills pop up on windward shores, and some islands are developing geothermal energy plants (Guadeloupe's is up and running). Aruba and Saint Lucia have joined Richard Branson's campaign to swear off all fossil-based fuels. Economics, not ideology, drives much of this: Islands are expensive places to do business, what with all the shipping costs, air-conditioning, water desalination/puriﬁcation plants, etc. Of course, the fear of even higher energy costs or, worse, a disruption in supplies, does not directly affect travelers' choices. Not yet. Still, better hope alternative energy sources kick in before energy surcharges. climate change If my inbox is any indication of the way the world turns, the Caribbean travel industry has been sending out press releases on sustainability faster than Hollywood can crank out updates on Beyonce, Bullock, and Brangelina. The releases announce hotels going green, islandwide environmental projects, and international conferences about sustainability on innumerable islands, even tiny Eustatia. For many hotels, sustainability started with "giving the client the option to hang towels on bars if they wished to re-use them," says Susan Shevlin, CTC and luxury travel consultant with the Tzell Travel Group. Now, she adds, "many resorts have done extensive work on their properties [such as] overhauling the way they collect water." Jaclyn Sienna India, co-owner of Florida-based Sienna Charles Travel Agency & Boutique, says, "Existing hotels are adding features like organic gardens, and new properties are being designed to be green from the start." 32 november 2013 32-73 CB GreeningBUP.indd 32 Except for the tiny minority who buy carbon offset credits, this is another issue that doesn't determine clients' decisions. However, it's a major concern in the Caribbean (and it's one more reason why islands want to cut back on fossil fuel). The UN News Centre reports that "Caribbean countries are on the forefront of climate change," both fearing it and doing something about it. While ofﬁcials in low-lying islands worry that rising sea levels could submerge them, mountainous islands are concerned, too, because lucrative coastal resorts may be imperiled. Even the most heartless observer knows that this would not be ideal for agents. ecotourism activities Here's where the greening of the Caribbean more immediately affects your clients' decisions. Recent years have seen increased participation in ecotourism activities from hiking, birding, nature photography, snorkeling, surﬁng, kitesurﬁng, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding, to visiting historic landmarks, voluntourism, turtle protection, whale-watching, and supporting local cultures by visiting the farms and/or purchasing authentic crafts instead of imports, as well as learning about indigenous herbs (no, not that herb). continued on page 70 recommend.com 10/22/13 12:28 PM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Generator
Tour Talk: Vistas by IsramWorld
Sailing the Danube With Viking (and a Teeneger in Tow)
AmaPrima
Bhutan: The Eternal Kingdom Beckons
The Greening of the Caribbean
The Saint Lucia Travel Agent Specialist Program
Merida: Gateway to the Yucatan Experience
Nicaragua Now
Las Vegas Embraces the Future
Tasmania: A Devilish Destination
Zimbabwe: Southern Africa's Comeback Kid
Georgia: Off the Radar

Recommend November 2013