Graham Wood, Managing Director of Southern Sun Hotels, received the coveted Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) Chairman’s Award in this years’ Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards. The Award acknowledges his commitment to responsible tourism practice in the hospitality industry and is testimony to Southern Sun’s ongoing efforts to create a greener tourism footprint.
The Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort won the award for Best single resource management Programme - energy management. The Umhlanga Sands Lifestyle Resort and Palazzo Montecasino were also finalists in this category.
Several Southern Sun hotels were finalists in various categories: Garden Court Eastern Boulevard in the category Best single resource management programme - water management; and The Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort and Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel in the category Best single resource management programme - waste management.
The ninth Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards presentation ceremony was held in Johannesburg yesterday, 10 November 2010, on World Responsible Tourism Day.
“Southern Sun has implemented a range of eco-initiatives throughout the group to ensure it becomes an environmentally friendly brand – one which reduces its impact on the environment and creates a more sustainable future for the travel industry,” says Wood.
“We are extremely proud of our GMs, Operations Directors and employees who all play an integral role in implementing Southern Sun’s environmental management programmes,” he says.
“Our journey towards becoming environmentally friendly forms a crucial tenet of our operations. We are continually scrutinising how we can modify and transform elements of our processes to ensure we function in a manner that is cognisant of broader social and environmental impacts.”
Imvelo, meaning ‘nature’ in South Africa’s Nguni languages, encourages industry members to accept voluntary guidelines promoting responsible tourism. The awards are in line with the responsible tourism guidelines for the South African hospitality industry and the UN World Tourism Organisation’s code of ethics, and are supported by the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.
“Southern Sun is working to instil and foster responsible tourism within our hotels and the broader industry,” says Wood. “As such our efforts entail working with local communities to improve their well-being; taking cognisance of the effects of our operations on the broader environment and society; investing in enhancing conservation and cultural heritage; and stimulating dialogue regarding how the industry can work to preserve our environment for all to enjoy.”
“The process is an infinite one necessitating ongoing effort and investment – but it is crucial and forms an essential component of Southern Sun’s culture and brand promise,” he says.
