ABTA Convention hotel receives prestigious sustainability award

The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino, in Greece, has been recognised for its outstanding sustainability achievements.

This year's Travel Convention was staged at the Westin Costa Navarino.
This year’s Travel Convention was staged at the Westin Costa Navarino.
The five-star property, which hosted more than 500 delegates attending this week’s 2015 ABTA Convention, received the Travelife Gold plaque at the event’s closing ceremony on Wednesday.

The resort is one of two Starwood Hotels and Resorts managed properties in Costa Navarino, Messinia, a region in the southwest of the Peloponnese, Greece.

Travellife Gold sustainability certification is awarded to hotels that have proved their efficiency in respecting key social, economic and environment issue.

The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino was certified following an extensive on-site audit that demonstrated it met all the Travelife Gold certification criteria.

Its achievements were two-fold covering both socio-economic and environmental factors.

They included hiring 70% of employees from the local area; buying 60% of supplies from local sources; helping to increase the annual income of local restaurants by €2.35 million via Costa Navarino’s visitors; investing in international promotion of the Peloponnese region, resulting in an 80% increase in visitor numbers to the area in 2014; and providing training to more than 450 local tourism and hospitality professionals.

The resort was also recognised for creating the ‘Navarino’ brand and product lines, which promotes traditional Messinian food and culture internationally, as well as establishing the Captain Vassilis Foundation to educate local farmers.

Its environmental achievements were also wide-ranging with the resort constructing the largest photovoltaic solar energy park in Greece, generating surplus renewable energy, which is supplied back to the national grid.

The resort has also developed the biggest geothermal system in Europe with 123km of pipes laid underground.

In addition, The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino planted 16,000 ancient olive trees and 8,000 other trees during its construction; established a habitat protection programme for the African Chameleon and 271 bird species; has protected loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) by using GPS monitoring; and developed the Navarino Natura Hall interactive environmental education centre, which so far has been visited by 3,000 children.

The resort also uses 100% renewable water sources (local river runoff and on-site waste water treatment plant) for all irrigation.

“Environmental and social responsibility is at the heart of Costa Navarino’s philosophy,” said Jirayr Kececian, complex general manager, Starwood Hotels, Costa Navarino.

“Moreover, for us at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, sustainable, responsible behaviour is a priority. We are committed to pursuing a triple-bottom, line approach of environmental, financial and social responsibility.

Nikki White, managing director for Travelife for Hotels & Accommodations said Costa Navarino had played a “significant role in helping to develop and promote the whole of the Peloponnese region”.

“It has helped drive local investment, infrastructure and visitor numbers at a time when Greece has struggled economically,” she said.

“And at the same time Costa Navarino has led the way in terms of supporting local people, local businesses and protecting the local environment.”

 sourced:traveldailymedia.com