Courtesy of Caribbean News Digital
The luxurious Caribbean Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts Aruba, stands at the pinnacle of environmental tourism excellence. Situated on 14 acres of Eagle Beach’s pristine white sand, this tranquil beach environment is a sustainable tourism option for travelers in search of new destinations.
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts not only leads the way in eco-friendly practices but also continues to strive for better sustainable operations and management outcomes each year. 2015 will mark the fifteenth year that the resort has received Green Globe certification and according to a recent report from Travel World News, travelers now have higher expectations, specifically looking for lodgings that meet or exceed today’s “green” standards.
Ewald Biemans, owner and Managing Director of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts, is noted for his sustainable tourism efforts in the Caribbean. In 2014 he was awarded “Green Hotelier of the Year” in the Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Travel Awards.
With the latest certification complete Mr. Biemans said, “15 years ago when we first received certification to today, Green Globe has blazed the trail and guided us in terms of environmental conservation. Their rigorous re-certification process and continually updated standards are what places Green Globe on the leading edge of conservation and sustainability. Our discerning guests recognize the importance and value of this certification and rely upon it for making informed travel decisions.”
As the leader of the resort’s Green Team, Biemans has earned the resort global recognition with more than two dozen environmental awards and certifications, including the Highest Achievement Award in the Caribbean by Green Globe and ISLANDS’ top 100 worldwide sustainable organizations.
As an industry leader in eco-friendly practices, Biemans also achieved the distinction of being the first hotel in the Americas to earn the highly coveted ISO 14001 environmental certification every year since 2003. Biemans continues to raise the bar with the resort currently working towards obtaining its fourth green certification, LEED.
This past summer, Biemans led a session aptly named “Boutique Resorts: Innovations and Eco Certifications at The Caribbean Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism” in Grenada. Also this past summer, the resort took the pledge to be a part of the Water Sense H2Otel Challenge. Water Sense is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnership program designed to help save water for future generations. Bucuti is currently the only resort outside of North America that has taken this initiative at this time. And upon check in at the resort guests are provided with water canteens to use during their stay thereby eliminating the use of plastic water bottles.
Biodiversity projects at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts include protecting nesting Leatherback Turtle populations by producing signage with Turtugaruba, a local environmental group, from March through July each year. The resort also supports Aruba’s Donkey Sanctuary, a volunteer foundation, providing a safe haven for 40 local donkeys.
For guests coming to the resort, eco-responsibility is embedded even before take-off. An example of the resort’s environmental foresight is its communication protocol. Reservations inform guests prior to arrival about monthly beach clean ups and other environmental activities that they may wish to participate in.
