THE practices of environmentally responsible Caribbean hotels will be in the spotlight at the 1st Annual Green Hotels Conference and Exhibition to be held at the Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club in Montego Bay, on July 26th & 27th 2002.

The conference is an activity of the Environmental Audits for Sustainable Tourism (EAST) project, funded by the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by PA Consulting Group. The Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) is also a co-sponsor of the conference.

Hugh Cresser, EAST’s project co-ordinator, notes that the Conference will be a “celebration of achievements of Jamaican and other Caribbean tourism establishments that have paved the way for a more sustainable future”.

Through the efforts of the EAST project and CAST, the Caribbean is widely recognised as a leader in the adoption of environmentally responsible practices in hotel operations.

“Today, the Caribbean boasts the greatest number of Green Globe-certified hotels in the world and small and large properties alike have experienced the cost savings and marketing benefits of being a green hotel,” Bill Meade, EAST project director and CAST governing council member, points out.

The Green Hotel Conference will present information on the development of marketing and promotional strategies for “green” hotels as well as attractions and will highlight the latest in “green” technologies for the hospitality and manufacturing sectors. The conference will also feature panels on certification programmes, corporate environmental programmes and community involvement in sustainable tourism.

The executive director of CAST, Jasmin Garraway, said CAST is “pleased that an event such as the Green Hotels Conference will be taking place and it builds on other sustainable initiatives in the region”. She also indicated that she hopes that the Green Hotels Conference and Exhibition will become an annual event.

Presenters for the Green Hotels Conference will include Jonathan Tourtellot of National Geographic Traveller; Karen Fletcher, executive director, International Hotels Environmental Initiatives (IHEI); Nico Visser, manager, Sustainable Tourism & Environment, TUI, the Netherlands; and Dr Terry de Lacy of CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Griffith University, Australia.

Mecedes Silva of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Yvonne Roberts of the Quality Tourism for the Caribbean and Jasmine Garroway of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) will be among Caribbean presenters.

The conference ends with the EAST/JHTA Environmental Awards Luncheon at which environmental champions in the hospitality sector will be recognised.

The Green Hotels Conference & Exhibition will culminate a week of activities focusing on sustainable tourism in the Caribbean and including an Educators’ Symposium on Sustainable Tourism which will be addressed by several prominent presenters. They include: Karen Ford-Warner of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation; Dr Gary Practzel of the College of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Niagara University; Dr Ben Tyson of the Central Connecticut State University; Dr David Stipanuk, School of Hotel Administration, Cornel University; Carolyn Hayle of the University of the West Indies and Hugh Cresser.