Jaime Fairfoot Calls on Hospitality Businesses to Invest in Sustainable Tourism Initiatives
MIAMI – Jaime Fairfoot, director of sales and business development at SportsArt, is urging Caribbean leaders to do more to encourage businesses investing in initiatives which protect the environment and promote sustainable tourism development.
“Green businesses need to be the norm and not the exception,” said Fairfoot whose company produces gym equipment which converts energy expended during exercise, in a gym or at home, into grid grade electricity.
Fairfoot urged governments and the private sector to salute environmentally focused nationals on a daily basis and not just on special occasions: “These people are at the front lines of your operations and absorb a lot so it’s important that they get as much encouragement as possible.”
He showered praise on the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) for highlighting the need for the sector to be more environmentally responsible through its Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) Awards Celebration in Miami.
“Congratulations to the winners of awards who are making great strides in dealing with the challenges of climate change,” said Fairfoot.
2019 CHIEF Environmental Sustainability Award Recipients:
* Small Hope Bay Lodge in Andros, Bahamas placed first. The Bahamian property launched a major re-engineering and upgrade initiative focused on solar power, as part of its refurbishments following the 2016 hurricane season.
* Second place went to Bay Gardens Resorts in St. Lucia, recognized for its recent reduction of single-use plastics and Styrofoam products, as well as its 20 percent reduction in energy usage across occupied hotel guestrooms.
* Blue Horizons Garden Resort in Grenada took third place in the category, for its comprehensive approach towards reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
* Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba was honored with the Environmental Sustainability “Hall of Fame” award for ongoing leadership and excellence in this category.
CHTA is committed to advancing the quality, sustainability and profitability of the tourism industry in the region. The CHIEF Awards have been established to recognize successful practices which CHTA member hotels and tourism-related enterprises have adopted in any of the following four categories: Business Operations, Environmental Sustainability, Sales and Marketing, and Social Responsibility.
