Tobago gains two more Green Key Awards

Recently, the Green Key National Jury of Trinidad and Tobago unanimously awarded two tourism accommodation properties the internationally recognised Green Key.

Adventure Eco Villas and Native Abode became the two newest members of the International Green Key family of certified properties.

Together with Bananaquit and Shepherd’s Inn these four properties in Tobago are currently the only Green Key certified sites in the English-Speaking Caribbean. When deciding to become part of the programme.

lEan Mackay, Owner and Manager of Adventure Eco Villas commented that,

‘It seemed to be what we are all about, setting a strong environmental example to others and being a part of the Green Key programme worldwide made real sense as it endorses our sustainable dreams and efforts over the last twenty years.”

“For us the process was straightforward, since our goals are aligned, and the guidance provided was excellent. The Green Key initiative of sustainable tourism is in sync with our aims at Native Abode, so it was very easy for us to get onboard.”

Green Key demonstrates to visitors that tourist accommodation properties have taken steps to protect the environment and reduce their overall negative impacts. It assures guests that their green activities are genuine and real. Green T&T, the National Operator for the Green Key Programme in Trinidad and Tobago, worked closely with both properties to ensure that each operator was able to meet and, in some cases, exceed each of the criteria set forward. The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) has been advocating and empowering local tourism stakeholders to raise the standard and quality of sustainable tourism products.

Director of Product Development and Destination Management, Narendra Ramgulam at TTAL describes it best:

Apart from strong brand positioning, Green Key certification helps tourism establishments to work towards sustainability in a structured way over time - it is phased in its approach and allows property owners time to implement changes annually. It also contributes to the reduction of costs at the tourism establishments, for example through lower energy and water consumption.

While the first four Green Key sites in Tobago are accommodation properties the Green Key standard is applicable to tourism attractions and restaurants as well. The journey has just begun, but Green T&T and TTAL will keep working together to ensure that Tobago continually increases its sustainable choices ensuring the preservation of the island for the future generations of all its travellers and residents alike.

Green Key International at Stichting KMVK's annual Green Key event

On 8 February Green Key International participated in this years’ Green Key award ceremony in the Netherlands. The event was held in the prestigious NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam.

Every year, the organisation Stichting KMVK - responsible for the Green Key programme in the Netherlands - organises a Green Key event for its awarded establishments to offer them the opportunity to participate in workshops, an inspiration market and to receive their Green Key award in a solemn ceremony. This year, the event was held at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky which has been Green Key awarded since 2012.

The programme kicked off with the finals of the Green Team Award, which is a yearly competition between the Green Teams of the awarded hotels in the Netherlands. After that, the participants of the inspiration market were given 45 seconds each to present their products and services to the guests of the event. At the inspiration market companies and organisations get the chance to advertise their products and services directly to the awarded establishments. A requirement is that their offers are sustainable or help the establishments to improve their environmental performance.

In the second part of the event, several workshops were held to inspire and inform the establishments and stakeholders about latest sustainability issues. The topics covered were circular economy in the hospitality industry, sustainable seafood, laws & regulations on energy savings, sustainable property management and the Tiny Forest project. Guests were also invited to go on a round tour of the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky to learn about the hotel's sustainability initiatives. The event closed with the handover of the Green Key awards.

The Green Key event in the Netherlands is a good example of national Green Key initiatives where awarded establishments can gain knowledge in sustainability and be inspired by other establishments or stakeholders. 

Dayz Rønbjerg receives Green Key award

The establishment is the first holiday park in Denmark to receive the Green Key award. With the award, Dayz Rønbjerg joins the company of international holiday parks putting high priority on environmentally friendly and sustainable operation.

“With the certification of Dayz Rønbjerg, we have taken an important step towards our strategic goal for all our holiday parks to be Green Key certified by 2018”, says Sales & Marketing Manager of Dayz by Landal GreenParks Kent Lodberg. “To protect the environment is more important than ever before, and it is becoming an increasingly important subject for Danish guests, so we are simultaneously preparing for the green guests of the future with the certification”, he continues.   

Kirsten Poulsen, Director of Firstmove specializing in future insights, says that working with high environmental and sustainability standards is not only worthwhile, but also necessary if an establishment wants to be attractive to future guests. “Guests are increasingly putting more emphasis on sustainability and this can be a decisive factor when choosing one establishment above the other”.

Employees Piertel Maartje Jonker and Casper Lemvig celebrating the Green Key award of Dayz Rønbjerg.

Dayz by Landal GreenParks is part of the Dutch Landal GreenParks that operates more than 80 holiday parks in Europe - 74 of these are Green Key certified.  

Source: Dayz by Landal GreenParks

Exquisite boutique hotel Carrubba Tivat receives first Green Key Award in Montenegro

It is with great pleasure and a true honour to officially announce Hotel Carrubba Tivat as the first Green Key awarded hotel in Montenegro! 

Complying with the Green Key criteria for what is a traditional stone building dated from the 19th century could have been a challenge but the hotel's amazing team in charge of researching and implementing the programme proved the assumption wrong.

The entire staff put their minds, hearts and souls into finding ways of improving the hotel’s impact on the environment. 

The work includes turning the water valves down and saving on consumption, using old sheets for rags, making compost for the garden from coffee grains, heating water with solar panels, and using low power consuming bulbs for lighting wherever possible!

At the reception, the eco-friendly spirit of the hotel has its essence. Head of Reception “Marina” will offer wonderful bike rides along the coast and show hiking trails starting directly from the hotel. Green Key information will be passed on if questions arise and community events will be offered when they occur.

In the Kitchen, the chef prioritizes seasonal local products for the menu and these can always be savoured with Montenegro’s best wines.

The simple common sense was used very effectively on many occasions and this combined with some real practical solutions gave the momentum so the hotel could achieve their goals and ultimately and deservedly receive the Green Key Status and Award.

All is there, the staff and the location, the understanding of global issues and the enthusiasm, the prestige and the caring. We are proud to have Hotel Carrubba Tivat as new member of Green Key!