The Paradise Sun Hotel on Praslin Island is the newest recipient of the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL), joining the cohort of 21 adherents of the eco-friendly movement, while two other tourism accommodation establishments renewed their certification to the scheme.
Receiving his hotel establishment’s SSTL credentials and certificate from Mrs. Sherin Francis, the Principal Secretary for Tourism, in a brief ceremony held at the Tourism Department headquarters at Botanical House, Mont Fleuri on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, the representative from Paradise Sun Hotel, Mr. Richard Marguerite, stated that the management of the hotel feels proud to be part of the SSTL and pledge to continue their efforts for a greener Seychelles. He also added that many of the SSTL requirements were already being implemented at the establishment under the guidance of their head office and that the certification also serves as a marketing tool.
Also present at the ceremony were also Mrs. Laporte-Booyse from Chalets D’Anse Forbans in South Mahé and Mr. Bernard Pool from Heliconia Grove at Côte d’Or on Praslin as both establishments renewed their certification. First certified in 2015 and 2016 respectively, Heliconia Grove and Chalets D’Anse Forbans have invested in various technologies to reduce their water and energy consumption and managed other resources in a sustainable manner. Beyond adopting sustainable habits in their daily operations, they have also partnered with environmental NGOs for various conservation activities.
Mrs. Laporte-Booyse stated that “for our Tourism industry to survive we need to look towards being responsible and to implement sustainable policies into our everyday lives.”
During the ceremony, the Principal Secretary for Tourism Mrs Francis congratulated Paradise Sun Resort for its achievement in obtaining the certification. She likewise commended the recertified hotels for maintaining their pledge to sustainability.
“As small island states, we are the first to bear the repercussions of climate change today, which is why the department strives that partners uphold eco-friendly practices. Our efforts towards sustainability would not be complete without the support of our partners. We are encouraged to see that our hotel partners keep to their commitment and obtain certification in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused some delays in the certification process.”
Calling on other establishments to undertake the sustainability journey and join the programme, PS Francis said, “We would, of course, like to see more tourism establishments and businesses come on board. Our team managing the SSTL programme is intensifying its efforts in advocating for the sustainability cause and working with other hotels to increase participation in the scheme,” said Mrs Francis.
Established in 2011, the SSTL, which is applicable to hotel accommodation establishments of all sizes, is a voluntary certification scheme that recognises and rewards tourism businesses that are implementing best practices in sustainability within their operations.
Internationally recognised, the SSTL also holds Recognition Status by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and aims at mainstreaming sustainability within the tourism sector so as to safeguard local natural assets as well as the industry’s future growth and prosperity.
