HICAP Sustainable Hotel Award for Climate Action Winner – Hotel Magazine
Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia has received the 2022 Resort Financial investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) Sustainable Resort Award for Climate Action.
In addition to climate action, there were awards for developing preservation/adaptive reuse, favourable neighborhood affect, and sustainable layout. Submissions were being assessed by seven judges, the bulk from institutional sustainability backgrounds. The BHN Team, the organiser of the HICAP party, introduced the winners on 12 October 2022.
The judges based mostly the weather motion choice on Cardamom Tented Camp’s capacity to work with associates to maintain 180 square kilometres of lowland rainforest in the Botum Sakor nationwide park in southwest Cambodia. On local climate motion, it is estimated that the forest that the camp can help protect sequesters about 108,652 tons of carbon per yr, according to Wildlife Is effective.
Due to the fact opening in 2017, the tented camp’s motto has been, “Your Stay Retains the Forest Standing.” It tends to make the declare for the reason that revenue from the camp guidance the regular salaries of 10 Wildlife Alliance forest rangers. The rangers guard the habitat from illegal poachers, loggers, riverbank sand dredgers and land encroachers.
Populations of elephant, leopard, python, sunshine bear, otter, pangolin and other wildlife are increasing due to camp-funded ranger patrols. The rangers have compelled poachers to the perimeters or out of the park entirely.
“Despite setbacks throughout the two Covid many years when tourism money considerably disappeared, Cardamom Tented Camp persevered in its environmental mission,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO of camp operator YAANA Ventures. “We are grateful to HICAP for recognising our remaining electrical power and capability to operate with associates to preserve the forest standing, with all the advantages that deliver.”
HICAP judges also regarded as the camp’s considerable contribution to UN Sustainable Development Targets, these as everyday living on land, clear and inexpensive electrical power, decent work, economic advancement, weather motion, and partnerships. Cardamom Tented Camp is a partnership with Slight Hotel Group’s sustainability arm, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Wildlife Alliance, and YAANA Ventures.
Over and above sequestering an believed 108,652 tons of CO2 annually, the judges also recognised Cardamom Tented Camp’s extra environmental attempts, like remaining driven by 100 p.c onsite photo voltaic energy for its electrical energy, very low-impression heating and cooking, and pure wastewater filtration processes. The house recycles as significantly as probable and takes advantage of 100 per cent natural individual treatment solutions. Upcoming programs contain:
- Powering its boat with an electric powered battery.
- Growing community and onsite foodstuff sourcing.
- Enterprise group-primarily based conservation.
Aside from Cardamom Tented Camp’s environmental efforts, it also scores nicely on hospitality and all-round guest practical experience metrics. The camp’s visitor satisfaction stages are rated 5 stars by TripAdvisor and have been so for a few many years.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, YAANA Ventures estimates Cardamom Tented Camp will shut in 2022 with about 80 p.c of 2019’s occupancy and will return to rewarding amounts in 2023. In parallel with this, YAANA Ventures will raise the forest rangers’ contributions.
