French Polynesian resorts are keen to go green

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/03/2009 (6370 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANY French Polynesian resorts are making a tremen­dous difference by supporting tourism that protects the environment and the local communities working to gain  or maintain sustainable livelihoods.

There is no universal standard for ‘ecotourism, ‘sustainable tourism’ or ‘responsible tourism.’ While there are many genuine operators promoting themselves under one of these slogans, others just jump on the trendy ecotourism bandwagon.

Green Globe, however, is a legitimate ecotourism benchmarking system for the tourism industry. It is based upon the Agenda 21 Plan that was originally endorsed by 182 heads of state at the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, and provides a set of principles for local, state, national and international action on sustainable development. The program provides a certification system that directly responds to the major environmental problems facing the planet. The resorts I visited are all Green Globe-certified.

For more information on the program go to their website at www.greenglobe.org

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & RESORTS: Proud recipients of a Green Globe Certification for each of the brand’s four French Polynesian resorts, including the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, the only establishment in the world using the benefits of water drawn from the Pacific Ocean at depths of over 800 metres. It’s a revolutionary technology that protects the surrounding environment and provides cooling from air-conditioning through thermal exchange. This one-of-a-kind system eliminates the use of hazardous carbons found in traditional air-conditioners and is 80 per cent more energy efficient. The Green Globe advisory board granted the prestigious certification due to the continuous efforts put forward by each of the resorts to become environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

MOOREA AND BORA BORA PEARL RESORT AND SPA: Coral reefs in the South Pacific are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of tourism. Coral is a living organism that can easily be destroyed. In 2001, Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa collaborated with a marine biologist to install 30 artificial reefs within the lagoon of the hotel under the overwater bungalows. Now, with the Moorea Pearl resort on board as well, they continue to support the establishment of a life-sized experiment, a coral nursery. The underwater laboratory is meant to safeguard endangered coral, to nurse it and allow it to grow in a protected environment, but it also allows the public to discover the mysteries of this interesting ecosystem in the best possible conditions.

LE TAHA’A PRIVATE ISLAND RESORT AND SPA: The Relais & Chateaux property had the entire resort designed around plant life, preserving the integrity of the motu and giving it a Swiss Family Robinson feel. In an effort to further contribute to environmental sustainability and social responsibility, some of the practices include water conservation, harnessing solar energy, encouraging guests to reuse towels, cleaning/treating waste water, collecting rainwater, recycling both waste and paper products, and the use of eco-friendly cleaning products. They also use indigenous and local materials for resort construction, use electric cars and employ local Polynesian residents.