I have experienced the best practice of sustainable tourism when I was working in ClubMedCheratingBeach in my home country, Malaysia. It is the first eco-nature resort by Club Med. The resort rests in the jungle – home to a number of special animals including rare birds and endangered sea turtles. It has been awarded two important eco-certifications for its involvement in sustainability, namely Green Globe (Bronze) and Earth Check (Silver).

The guest rooms are wooden bungalows built on stilts – constructed in traditional Malay style, exactly like those of ‘kampung’ (village) houses typically found in Malay villages. All rooms are furnished with Malaysian style furniture and colourful handmade batik paintings. This reveals Club Med’s commitment in preserving local culture. The architecture is constructed mainly with local materials. There is no elevator or escalator in the entire resort, aiming to minimize energy consumption. Other than that, energy is also recovered from the resort’s air-conditioning system to fuel boilers for hot water which will then be channeled to guest rooms. This system saves a lot of energy as well as lessens the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.

Apart from energy conservation, the resort also develops a watering system that uses water from a lagoon for watering plants. It is an efficient way to treat natural waste water. In the bathroom of all guest rooms, there is a ‘Save Water’ sign to remind the guests on importance of water saving.

In addition, the resort is committed to an active policy of environmental stewardship.It establishes a partnership with the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary to help educate the public about turtles and the need to protect this endangered species, alongside with the support of releasing turtles back into the wild. Polo T-shirts with the Turtle Sanctuary logo are being sold in the boutique of Club Med and a percentage of proceeds from sales of the T-shirts will go towards the Turtle Sanctuary to support the turtle conservation programme.

Early of the year 2010, the resort has also started a Mini Club Nature Concept to inculcate a sense of appreciation for nature in its young guests. The children are presented with a story book ‘Rainforest Treasures’ to get them aware of their precious environment. Worth to be mentioned this book is produced with environment-friendly recycled paper. Kids would also have chance to meet the local animal, for instance visiting to Turtle Sanctuary.

Restaurants in the resort provide food with a focus on healthy, natural choices. Organic products are used extensively. Foods are clearly labelled, without additives or any chemical treatment. For the kids, wholesome kid’s tray that offers balanced meal is provided. Kitchen waste management is made more eco-friendly by recycling and composting. Information regarding what is recyclable or compostable is clearly displayed at strategic locations. Furthermore, a project to recycle waste from public areas is also being developed by the Housekeeping service.

Besides from having a Sustainability Policy in place, the resort also communicates its environmental policy to all suppliers to make them aware of potential opportunities for ‘green’ business. This sustainable purchasing policy indicates that local and environmental friendly suppliers are more preferred. Within the resort area, trees are cut only when necessary and even then, to ensure sustainable development, a new tree is planted for every one that is cut. No straw will be provided for drinks at the bar, unless requested by the guest. Bottled waters are only sent to guest rooms upon their arrival, and on the bottle there is a label stating that guests are encouraged to refill drinking water from the bar using the same bottle.

All the employees in the resort are trained on environmental issues. In accordance with implementation of sustainable tourism, Club Med is revising the outfit of G.O., offering us the uniform made from organic fair-trade cotton.

There are also the signs of ‘Saving Energy’ and ‘Eco-Initiative for G.O. Room’ put on our room’s door to raise our conscious of resources preservation and sustainability.

I would say Club Med has put a great effort to minimise environmental impacts in order to achieve sustainable tourism in line with its development to position itself as a high-end, upscale, yet an eco-friendly resort.