The Kempinski Seychelles Resort Baie Lazare has been awarded the Luxury Travel Guide’s Eco-Friendly Hotel Award for Seychelles. Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. The Eco-Friendly Hotel Award recognises the resort’s sustainability efforts, such as an on-site water treatment plant that recycles water for landscaping, and green technologies for energy conservation. Resort guests are encouraged to get involved with sustainable practices while on the island.
How environmental factors affect the Seychelles
Biodiversity in the Seychelles is being threatened by natural and human factors (Credit/Wikimedia Commons)
Tourism represents 70 per cent of the Seychelles economy, and in 2016, almost 64 per cent of employment in the Seychelles was linked to travel and tourism. Following a particularly devastating year when El Nino hit the 115-island archipelago, coral coverage dropped from 50 per cent to 5 per cent on reefs. The IMF has said that the Seychelles experienced the “worst drought in decades,” in 2010, affecting the natural environment
Seychelles has put climate change at the centre of its sustainable development strategy, more purposefully than most other small states.
— IMF
The resort’s Plant-a-Tree Programme is another initiative introduced to off-set some of Kempinski’s operational carbon emissions. The programme aims to educate resort guests about the island nation’s biodiversity, and to protect and restore natural habitats and indigenous wildlife.
Luxury and environmental awards
The spa has 6 private treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite (Credit/Kempinski)
The Resort’s journey to protect the environment began with the implementation of the Kempinski Green Inspiration program, shortly after the hotel opened in March 2012. It was one of the first five-star hotels to be recognised by Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL), in 2013. Most recently, it also won the 2017 Seychelles’ Best Resort Spa.
Our beautiful location in the South of Mahé is truly one our strongest assets and the perfect environment to offer unique experiences for our guests. We have an obligation to nurture and protect this unique habitat for future visitors to the islands and future generations of Seychellois.
— Masami Egami, Kempinski general manager
Last year, the hotel was awarded its third consecutive SSTL and achieved Bronze Benchmark status through EarthCheck, the world’s leading environmental advisory group for travel and tourism.
Congratulations to the Kempinski Seychelles Resort for being awarded the Luxury Travel Guide’s Eco-Friendly Hotel Award!
Written By: Adriane Rysz