Applications for Ecotrophea 2009

A consistent commitment to the environment

Back in the 80’s the founder of the Marriott Hotel chain energy saving schemes into his company. The reason for this was the rising energy costs.

In January 2006, the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa in the Australian state of Queensland founded an environmental committee in which, once a month, leaders from all divisions in the company discussed ideas and suggestions related to environmental protection. In 2008, Marriott founded a ‛Green Council’ which agreed to a five point strategy aimed at, among other things, compensating CO₂ emissions, waste prevention, a reduction in the consumption of water and energy and the use of environmentally-friendly products. The recycling rate for paper, card, metal and plastic is approx. 90%. It is for this reason that the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa has already been honoured by many organisations for its environmentally-friendly resource management.

Further information can be found online at www.marriott.com/spirittopreserve.

Guided tours through the slums of Rio de Janeiro

Bitter poverty, dirty back streets, dark corners and the risk of violence: an image which most people associate with slums. In Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Armstrong has been putting these prejudices straight for 17 years. his guided tours through the ‘Favelas’ do not just explain the lifestyles of the residents, but enable a whole new understanding for the social problems in the ‘Favelas’. As such, visitors receive an insight into various aspects of Brazilian society.
With the income from the self-financing project, ‘Favela Tours’ supports a school and a computer project, from which almost 70 children from the ‘Favelas’ benefit. The concept has proven so successful, that in the meantime, projects based on this model have also been started in other Brazilian cities, in Argentina and India.

Further information can be found online at www.favelatour.com.br

Ecological holiday complex with an adjoining nature reserve

Stranddorf Augustenhof is an ecological holiday village with 30 holiday homes located directly on the Baltic coast – one of which is suitably equipped for disabled access. It was only through the construction of the holiday village that it was possible to convert a large part of what had been agricultural land, into a coastal nature reserve which can be used by many migrating birds as a resting place.

In addition, Stranddorf Augustenhof is in many respects a pilot station and reference project. As such, the holiday homes were built without the use of PVC and inside, partly clad with loam rendering. In some of the houses, special toilets for separating urine have been installed for a scientific field trial. The identical holiday homes are heated using various cost-saving and environmentally-friendly systems: wood pellets, solar power and geo-thermal energy. Stranddorf Augustenhof has already been honoured with various awards.

Further information can be found online at www.stranddorf.de.

Raising the awareness of environmental protection

The management of the five-star holiday hotel ‘Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa’ on the island of Crete has for many years been committed to promoting an understanding of environmental protection amongst guests and staff. To this end, the hotel management team has established its own environmental team and has developed environmental guidelines which include various measures. Amongst others, these include the use of environmentally-friendly energy (e.g. solar energy) for water heating, the use of biologically-treated effluent in the garden irrigation system, waste avoidance through the use of bulk packs or deposit systems, waste separation and energy-saving installations.

The company also co-operates with various companies, institutions and organisations who themselves, are also committed to protecting the environment. For example, this is how close collaboration with the Italian environmental group Legambiente started. Each year, together with guests, a beach cleaning campaign takes place, or tree-planting, as part of UNEP’s (United Nations Environment Programme) International Environment Day.

Further information can be found online at www.apollonia.gr

River-Rafting in harmony with nature and mankind

With its self-financed project ‘River Trips on the Siang River’, the Indian company RiverIndia Expeditions LLC has, in close consultation with the population, has created a service that enables responsible and sustainable tourism along India’s Siang River. RiverIndia Expeditions LLC has, for the first time, also succeeded in providing guests with access to the unique and pristine natural landscape of the Siang River as part of guided river trips. In the training centre of the company SARSI, local guides are taught about the subject of environmental protection and conservation. The issues discussed include environmentally-sound waste disposal as well as intercultural dialogue.

Further information can be found online at www.riverindia.com

Eco-comfort trekking in the Himalayas

The energy which is necessary for the lodges is generated from water and the sun. Thanks to the lodge’s own waste water treatment system, the double room is equipped with a shower and a WC, and radiators ensure heat, even on cold days. The project, which is seen in Nepal as a showcase project, is self-financing and provides work for 100 staff.

According to its own reckoning, the DAV Summit Club (the climbers’ school of the German Alpine Association) belongs to the pioneers of trecking in Nepal. With its partner agency INTREK, the DAV have been discovering new routes for almost 40 years and has also developed environmentally and socially sustainable approaches. As part of a joint venture, DAV and INTREK have set up set up five lodges in the Khumbu national park on the basis of strict ecological guidelines. In so doing, the ‛Everest Summit Lodges’ belong 100% to the Nepalese partner company.

Further information can be found online at www.nepalluxurytreks.com or www.dav-summit-club.de

For the conservation of diversity amongst different species

Africa's population is growing steadily as are the number of conflicts between the population and wild animals native to Africa. To create a balance for humans and animals alike is one of the goals of the ‘Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust’ which was founded in Kenya in 2000.

The foundation, established by the Italian tourism entrepreneur Luca Belpietro, emerged from the ‘Campi ya Kanzi’ lodge. Located near the Tsavo National Park, it has already picked up several international awards and in the meantime, has become one of the largest employers in the region. During the safari, guests are offered the choice between eight luxurious lodges. Part of the proceeds from running the lodge and the fee of $100 day/guest flow directly into the foundation's budget.

The goal of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is ‘the conservation of biodiversity and the establishment of protected areas’. The local cattle farmers also receive income from part of the foundation’s income as compensation for their losses caused by wild animals from the adjacent reserves. In addition, the foundation provides support for training, education and medical care for the local population and the construction of primary schools.

Further information can be found online at www.maasai.com

Sustainable adventure tourism

The Tsitsikamma National Park on South Africa’s east coast was established in 1964 and is one of the oldest protected areas in South Africa. In order to make the unique natural diversity of the region accessible for tourists, Stormsriver Adventures has developed the ‘Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour’. During the three-hour guided tour, participants glide from tree to tree on steel cables, and as such, explore the beauty of the National Park with its pristine forest areas from above.

The sustainable construction processes, in which no tree was allowed to be damaged and strict forestry requirements had to be met, were a condition for the construction of the high cable ‘garden’. In order to educate the guides, extensive training was necessary concerning the native flora and fauna. Various social projects in the region benefit from the financial success of the tourism project: As such, around 30,000 schoolchildren are given food and drink each year, an AIDS education programme has been started and an animal care centre has been founded. Within the scope of the project, around 750 young people have been offered training opportunities over the past nine years, giving them a start in the industry.

Further information can be found online at www.stormsriver.com

Future prospects for children in need

The Beluga School for Life is an aid project in Thailand, which has been set up by the Bremen-based project and heavy goods shipping company ‘Beluga Shipping GmbH’. The aim is to help children who, through the tsunami catastrophe in 2004 or other circumstances, need emergency help and to offer them new prospects for the future. Since it was founded, the Beluga School for Life has provided over 150 children und young people with new accommodation. Since spring 2007, visitors have been able to spend their holiday in the visitor area near to the Beluga School for Life in Na Nai, a village near to the Thai city of Khao Lak. As a tour operator, ‘Beluga School for Life - Charity Travel’ looks after all tourist-related concerns in connection with the project and creates enriching encounters off the trail established by mass tourism. Through their visit, guests contribute directly to the projects viability, as all income, which is generated through bookings benefits the project. At the same time, the visitor area doubles up as a training centre for local young people involved in the project.

Further information can be found online at www.beluga-schoolforlife.de and www.charity-travel-thailand.de