The World Green Tourism Conference is set to be held in December, SEE www.travelmole.tv/watch_vdo.php
The targets, announced January 3 by the Abu Dhabi tourism authority, commit Abu Dhabi to a 10-percent energy cut, 20-percent water usage cut and 20-percent waste-to-landfill cut. If delivered, Abu Dhabi believes its hotels will be some of the world’s greenest hotels.
The initiatives have been rolled out in a series of EHSMS seminars and workshops to help stakeholders – hotels in particular – kick-start programmes aimed at meeting the 12-month targets. The seminars have introduced delegates to EHSMS, as well as outlining how organisations can develop and audit an individual entity system.
Over 130 representatives from the emirate’s hotels have already responded, according to Nasser Al Reyami, director of Tourism Standards for Abu Dhabi.
"Participants have been extremely positive about the initiative, viewing it as a significant investment in the hotel sector," he explained. "The requirements have a solid business outcome for the entire tourism sector. They will boost standards and lift Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a pleasant and safe place to visit."
“Traditionally EHSMS has been applied only at an entity level,” says Al Reyami. “Our system covers all environmental, health and safety aspects of hotels, hotel apartments and tourism operators within the emirate and requires each of the entities to develop their own systems.
“The initiative helps fulfil ADTA’s regulatory obligations under the Executive Council’s Environment, Health and Safety decree of June 2009 and is essential in helping to achieve the authority’s vision of promoting a globally recognised, outstanding and sustainable tourism destination. In taking this initiative we recognise the Authority’s responsibility to the government and community to ensure the sustainability of the industry we serve.”
ADTA has pledged to support its hospitality sector throughout the entire EHSMS project implementation. “We will provide subsidised training workshops to help those in the hospitality industry develop their own systems,” says Al Reyami. “The requirements have a solid business outcome for the entire tourism sector. They will boost standards, lift Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a pleasant and safe place to visit and deliver substantial ROI for accommodation providers as it increases their business.”
The country is set to host the World Green Tourism Conference next December.
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