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Rather Than Remove Them |
MIAMI, May 1, 2003 - From South Carolina to Belize, new resorts are
investing thousands to preserve the natural beauty of their locations.
These efforts to preserve and protect are part of a growing trend in tourism
in which consumers are seeking more responsible resorts and hotel owners
are adopting more eco-sensitive and sustainable practices.
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, a 255-room luxury oceanfront resort and spa opening March 2004, invested $1 million to relocate over 300 trees, many of them large live oaks over a century old. "Aesthetically, we wanted to create a grand entrance that a hotel of
that stature deserves. We want it to be a new hotel with an entrance
that seems to have been there for years," said spokesman Matt Owen.
"Environmentally, we wanted to retain as many of the live oaks from that
site as possible."
Natural vegetation covers approximately eight acres with an additional six acres of planted gardens at Iberostar Tucan and Iberostar Quetzal. In addition to preserving the wooded areas, Iberostar installs systems and procedures that preserve the environment and conserve resources, including using recycled water for gardens and using biodegradable cleaning products. In Belize, Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort built its 25 beachfront cabanas around existing trees and then planted more to increase the lush privacy that has made the resort popular. With 300-acres, the owners built only on a small portion of the land, preserving the rest for the wildlife. To further protect the environment, Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort installed a Wastewater Gardens(R) septic system that uses plants, microbes, sunlight and gravity to transform wastewater into gardens. The system removes 99 percent of bacteria and the environmentally harmful Nitrates and Phosphates that damage reefs and wetlands. "Diving and fishing are top reasons people visit Belize," said Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort Managing Director Roberto Fabbri. "It is critical we protect the reefs because if they disappear, so do the travelers." |
Contact:
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island http://www.kiawahresort.com . Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort http://www.kanatik.com . Iberostar Paraiso Lindo http://www.iberostar.com |