The Sandals Resorts brand has built itself a sterling reputation over the years and has long been synonymous with luxurious Caribbean holidays. Management at Sandals have proven that they are not satisfied to rest on their laurels as they continue to raise the standards they have set for themselves. Most notably, over the course of the past 12 months Sandals have been hard at work building an equally stellar reputation in the field of eco-friendly tourism.
A year ago Sandals announced the launch of their environmental management programme across all their Caribbean hotels and resorts with the Sandals Earthguard powered by EarthCheck.
Since then, the Sandals chain of resorts have reportedly come a long way with their flagship hotel the Sandals Royal Bahamian recently receiving a silver rating by EarthCheck while the Sandals Negril, one of the most popular with travellers booking luxury Caribbean holidays, has proudly maintained its platinum status previously acquired in 2008 under the groups former certification body, Green Globe.
Under the EarthCheck programme, Sandals have identified six key pillars necessary to reduce their environmental impact and improve their green credentials:
Staff Awareness
Energy Management
Waste Management
Control of Hazardous Substances
Social and Cultural Development
Water Conservation
Sandals work in the area of water management and water conservation has been particularly impressive given the number of travellers who stay at the many Sandals resorts during their holidays in the Caribbean and the demands that such a high level of occupancy places on water supplies. Across all Sandals Resorts water from ice machines are recycled and used for irrigation, while the Sandals resorts in Ocho Rios, Jamaica has been harvesting well water to reduce its reliance on municipal supplies.
EarthCheck CEO Steward Moore stated the following of Sandals achievements, This achievement highlights the long term commitment that Sandals Resorts has shown to the communities and environment of the Caribbean. Theyre well ahead of most governments and industry players globally as a result of their efforts, and serve as a leader in the field of sustainable practices.”