Aruba & Bucuti Beach Resort Wins Environmental Protection Award

The Congress of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), that took place in Turkey’s Istanbul this year, bestowed its annual Innovation for Better Environmental Protection Policy Award on the Aruba & Bucuti Beach Resort in a presentation ceremony held at the Conrad International Hotel in the Turkish capital.

The distinction was created by American Express in association with the United Nations Environmental Protection Program, Green Globe 21 and Shell LPG in an effort to both recognize and praise leading environmental management within the hospitality industry.

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association was one of the first entities in the world to create such an award with a view to help bring environmental matters home and handpick the best policies for further implementation worldwide, IH&RA Chairman John Bell said.

For her part, Monique Barbut, chief of Technology, Industry and Economy at the United National Environmental Protection Program, noted the 2004 awards were meant to highlight unique and creative methods used by restaurants and hotels to protect the surrounding environment from their daily operations and promote sustainable development, tourism and travel.

The fast-paced growth of tourism and travel is having an increasingly important impact on the environment. In the light of it, hotels need to come up with necessary means to bring their daily business operations and environment-friendly policies together, Mrs. Barbut went on to say.