Attractions: Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts for 2009
- Source: People's Daily Online
- [09:09 November 05 2009]
- Comments
Agoda, Asia's leading online hotel reservations company, continues to promote responsible tourism with the publication of its Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts for 2009, which recognizes resorts for their innovative environmental policies and practices.
Mr. Michael Kenny, CEO of Agoda, said the Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts list helps travelers make informed environmentally-conscious decisions when booking their vacation by highlighting properties with established "green" policies and carbon-reducing practices.
"Since we first launched the list two years ago, we have seen an increasing number of properties supporting sustainable tourism and travel," said Mr. Kenny.
"Agoda considers it the company's responsibility to recognize hotels and resorts for their efforts to reduce the tourism industry's impact on the environment," he said. "Not only does this provide valuable examples of eco-friendly policies for other resort operators, it also helps our customers do their bit to combat climate change and to conserve nature."
Agoda's selection criteria for the list ensures the green policies at these top-rated eco-friendly hotels go beyond simply encouraging guests to reuse their linen or take shorter showers. Hotels are given extra credit for reducing their carbon footprint, empowering local communities and implementing green policies specific to their locations.
1) The Tongsai Bay, Koh Samui, Thailand
This resort near Chaweng Beach was pioneering sustainable policies long before the global trend caught on. When the resort's late founder, Akorn Hoontrakul, designed the property in 1985 he ensured it accentuated the bay's natural beauty without needing to fell a single tree. Akorn's son now runs the property and continues his father's legacy with the resort's Green Project, a policy that outlines several initiatives including waste management, recycling and energy conservation. The Tongsai Bay works with the local community where it has built a low-carbon school and it is collaborating with other hotels on the island to ensure Koh Samui preserves its natural beauty for future generations.
