Meliá Hotels International receives Earthcheck Sustainable Tourism Certificate in all its hotels in Dominican Republic (République dominicaine)
Meliá Hotels International (MHI) continues to include sustainability principles and responsible management in business operations and has now received EarthCheck certification for its three hotels in the Dominican Republic: Paradisus Palma Real, Paradisus Punta Cana and Meliá Caribe Tropical.
Meliá Hotels International receives Earthcheck Sustainable Tourism Certificate in all its hotels in Dominican Republic (République dominicaine)
Meliá Hotels International (MHI) continues to include sustainability principles and responsible management in business operations and has now received EarthCheck certification for its three hotels in the Dominican Republic: Paradisus Palma Real, Paradisus Punta Cana and Meliá Caribe Tropical.
EarthCheck is one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism certification programmes, and MHI signed a global agreement in 2012 to implement its environmental management model. MHI currently has 9 hotels with certification.
Protection of the environment has become one of the management priorities at the Paradisus Palma Real, a five star hotel in Playa Bávaro (Punta Cana). In 2012, the hotel received the Blue Flag for the quality of its beach, and it also takes an active role in cleaning and maintenance of the beach with different local foundations. The hotel has also developed an environmental training programme for employees in coordination with the Dominican Republic Institute of Environmental Law, and has also built a waste water treatment plant which allows the hotel to recycle water to irrigate the gardens and golf course.
Also in Playa Bávaro, the Paradisus Punta Cana and Meliá Caribe Tropical hotels are also fully committed to sustainable management policies, which range from energy efficiency measures to support programmes and collaboration with the local community, as well as other initiatives to raise awareness, such as guided tours of the mangrove forest and protected areas to raise awareness amongst guests about the need to respect and preserve the environment.
The award of the EarthCheck certificate implies a commitment to continuous improvement in the company’s three hotels in the Dominican Republic in maintaining achievements to date and making further progress in sustainable and responsible management. For MHI, certification also means progress in the commitment to sustainable tourism, especially in regard to controlling and monitoring the environmental impact of its activity.
In recent years, Meliá Hotels International has strengthened these commitments, aided by its recognition as a “Biosphere Hotel Company” by the Institute of Responsible Tourism (supported by UNESCO). The company is also a signatory of the UN Global Compact and was the first hotel company to assume a voluntary commitment to reduce emissions and observe agreements to protect biodiversity, promote fair trade and fight against the exploitation of children. It was also the first hotel company to be included in the FTSE4Good Ibex, the responsible index of the Spanish Stock Exchange, and has also been a member since 2011 of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable tourism.
