By Michelle da Silva Richmond

Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun received the coveted Green Key Award recently for its commitment to the environment and the promotion of sustainable tourism. The internationally acclaimed eco-label designation is offered to more than 2,700 hotels in 56 countries and is the leading reward in the tourism sector for these initiatives.

Our resort received the distinction following a stringent evaluation process, which involved our top management team and department heads, as well as an environmental manager in charge of ensuring compliance with established criteria. The criteria – set to be evaluated annually – includes allocation of environmental policies, energy, solid waste generation and the measurement of the carbon footprint.

Vital to this designation is the participation of our employees who have been consistently trained in Good Environmental Practices, which includes several initiatives, such as the recycling of towels and sheets, thus allowing the hotel to conserve water, energy and chemicals. The classification and handling of solid waste with the use of containers to separate plastics, paper and metals, as well as organic and inorganic products is also part of the process. The recovery of recyclable materials allows the return of raw materials to big industries for re-use, rather than exploiting natural resources.

Green Key is Global –

Founded in Denmark in 1994, the Green Key has become the hallmark for tourist facilities and is one of the fastest growing initiatives in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean. Their focus is on contributing to the prevention of climate change and promoting sustainable tourism by employing best practices and changing the behavior of everyone involved in tourism. This includes guests and collaborators as well as local authorities and communities with an eye toward protecting the global environment.

Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun plans to maintain the environmental criteria necessary to retain the Green Key Badge status. This designation should also facilitate obtaining the “Eco-Leaders” recognition designated by Trip Advisor, the prestigious online booking company.

The resort is also in the final evaluation stage for the “Distintivo Hidrosustentable,” an award granted by the Alliance for Water Sustainability in Tourism for hotels employing the best environmental practices in the use and care of water. This initiative is led by the Helvex Foundation, a world-renowned company known for manufacturing and distributing faucets, keys, mixers, accessories, sprinklers, flow meters, showers and other products.

The guidelines to be followed in order to achieve this distinction include saving and consumption practices of water and electricity, abstraction and use of rainwater, treatment of wastewater from hotel services and implementation of environmentally efficient equipment.

Posadas is the only hotel chain in Latin America to have certified all of its hotels in these environmental initiatives.