STC-8 Called on Caribbean Hoteliers to Invest More in Energy-Saving Technologies

A Caribbean environmental advocate wants national hotel associations across the region to help small hotel managers understand the importance of investing in low cost energy-saving environmental technologies.

Jamaican Hugh Cresser, who managed the recently expired Environment Audits for Sustainable Tourism (EAST) USAID-funded project in Jamaica for the past eight years, told the 8th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-8) in Puerto Rico that national hotel and tourism associations should help their members implement programs that are both profitable and sustainable.

Speaking on a ‘self-help´ approach to financing environmental improvements in tourism enterprises, Mr. Cresser refuted suggestions that environmental initiatives are costly.

“Environmental improvements are both low cost, and rapid payback investments - it is not rocket science but rather a very simple and practical process applying basic common sense to the things that we need to do within our facilities,” Mr. Cresser said, adding that managers are to blame for not making prudent decisions which both conserve the environment and generate revenue.

Mr. Cresser also called for an examination of alternatives for small businesses to manage their operations more efficiently by monitoring and cutting back on excessive waste.

The 8th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-8) took place in Puerto Rico´s San Juan from April 24 to 29 under the joint sponsorship of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.