Tabacon Grand
Spa Thermal
Resort in Costa
Rica Gets
Eco-Certified
Sustainable
Travel
International (STI)
has just
announced that
Tabacón Grand
Spa Thermal
Resort in Arenal,
has achieved its
Luxury Eco
Certification
Standard (LECS),
becoming the
first hotel in
that country to
pass the
intensive
on-site
inspection and
receive this
distinction.
Designed to
educate, as well
as help luxury
hotels create
and implement a
sustainability
management
framework, LECS
is the first and
only voluntary,
global
certification
program of its
kind.
Focusing on
Triple Bottom
Line (People,
Planet and
Profit), the
comprehensive
standard aligns
with impending
global
accreditation
through the
Tourism
Stewardship
Council.
With sustainable
tourism on the
rise, Leading
Hotels
spearheaded a
new partnership
between STI, the
global
non-profit
leader in
sustainable
travel
solutions, and
Leading Quality
Assurance (LQA),
a joint venture
of Leading
Hotels that
specializes in
quality
assurance,
benchmarking and
training to the
luxury
hospitality
industry.
Together, they
created an
innovative
program, which
carries out
evaluations in
five areas:
policy and
documentation;
energy
conservation;
water
conservation;
recycling; and
community. The
fusion of these
five components
will reduce
long-term
operating costs,
and create
customer and
employee good
will.
In order to
become LECS
certified,
hotels must
undergo a
preliminary desk
audit,
complimented by
an on-site,
third-party
assessment
handled by LQA.
The process of
becoming LECS
eco-certified is
challenging and
requires a
serious
commitment on
behalf of the
hotel applicant,
and Tabacón
Grand Spa
Thermal Resort
exemplifies this
commitment on
many levels.
Perhaps
principal among
them is the fact
that two
underground
reservoirs
provide all of
the hotel's
water - both hot
and cold -
eliminating the
need to use any
other energy
sources for
heating or
cooling it. The
hotel also has
in place
significant
practices for
conserving water
and electricity,
and recycling a
variety of
materials.
In addition to
engaging
vigorously in
staff training,
the hotel offers
guests
opportunities to
support its
sustainability
initiatives
through
tree-planting
projects,
contributions to
the local
community
development
fund, and making
local products
and handcrafts
available for
sale in its
shops.
Commenting on
the resort's
philosophy, Uwe
Wagner, general
manager, noted,
"One may not be
able to change
the world, but
one can
certainly make a
big difference
in the place
where you live,
making it a
better place for
everyone."
Brian T. Mullis,
President of
Sustainable
Travel
International
stated, "The
Luxury Eco
Certification
Standard has set
a new precedent
in the luxury
accommodation
sector. An
increasing
number of
five-star
hoteliers around
the world are
applying for
eco-certification.
They've excelled
in quality and
service and now
want to
demonstrate
their commitment
to helping to
safeguard the
natural and
cultural
heritage of our
planet for
future
generations."
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