Which Sustainable Practices could Implement Villa Marina Lodge ? This document was elaborated by Florie, Hopinoer, for the Villa Marina Lodge, Panama, in a serie of works and studies allowing tourism professional to make their activity more sustainable.

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Become Hopinoer Spread the awareness, get together and act for a responsible tourism.
Hopineo for Villa Marina Lodge – November 2014

2. Local Development
Social Responsibility
Local Heritage & Biodiversity
Green Mobility
Travelers’ awareness
Energy Water Waste Agriculture and Catering Construction
Learn about Hotel Sustainable Practices on Hopineo.org

3. Heat water using solar power (with electricity back up).
Remind guests & employees to save energy by switching off the light, etc…
Replace low consumption bulbs by LEDs.
Minimize use of laundry dryer: build a bio-climatic room to dry clothes naturally (to make it softer: 10 min in the laundry dryer without temperature when it’s dry)
Introduce a towels reusing program: save water and energy.

4. Collect and filter all your wastewater (septic tank, drain-fields filters?) to not contaminate any ground or water source (practice already done).
Monitor water consumption to quickly notice and repair any sort of leaks.
Plant local heat-resistant plants: no need to sprinkle the garden (already done?)
Remind guests & employees to use water responsibly.

5. Follow the three “R’s” program (Reducing, Reusing and Recycling), sort out metal and plastic to carry them out to a recycling center (in Chitré?).
Minimize trashes : refillable water bottles to guests, refillable bathroom amenities, deposit glass bottles (vs metal cans).
Make a quality compost from organic waste to serve as nutrients for plants.
Avoid the use of any chemical fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides.
Lend solar lamps to guests: avoid to buy batteries (buy for example: D.light lamps).
Clean the beach

6. Grown your own organic garden to cook with fresh, seasonal and local ingredients.
Tag the names of plants to make an educational garden for guests to learn from.
Make your homemade jam and bread for example.
Serve organic and fair trade coffee and cacao.

7. Minimize visual impact: all buildings are single store, and integrate them well with the natural environment.
Use passive solar building design principles: « Sun, Wind, and Light: Architectural Design Strategies » Mark DeKay & G. Z. Brown
Get a maximum of natural light: Build large openings windows and natural light well.
Use only responsible certified wood from plantation such as local teak or pine.

8. Support local owned tours operators by offering their services to your guests.
Sell local art-crafts to your guests, don’t take any %, buy some for your hotel decoration.
Buy produces from local farmers.
Be an active member of a local development initiative to support collective efforts to better promote the destination towards international markets.
Offer to your staff to organize their own personalized “tours” to guests: “garden’s plants”, “cooking class”, “wildlife night walk” as extra revenue during their after-work hours.

9. Provide fair wage and full time work contracts to local people (already done).
Fully respect national laws in term of social security, insurances and working conditions (already done).
Offer training opportunities to your staff.
Offer a disabled-accessible room.
Donate the profit of a cocktail to support a local cause.

10. Support a local program for biodiversity: conservation of sea turtles or green macaw ?
Natural reserve and reforestation: protect animals habitats and wild vegetation.

11. Promote green mobility like hiking tracks, horse back riding, bike, kayaks (Quads rental should not be part of the suggestion of activities for example).
Invite your guests to become “Eco-Heroes”: follow the example of the french association “Green Trek” who offers recycled plastic bags to trekkers so they can collect waste found in the nature (on the beach?) to trash them to a bin later.

12. Engage your staff: raise their awareness on environmental / social / economical stakes, offer them to share ideas of good practices and to be responsible of implementing successfully their own initiatives.
Communicate well about what you do on your website and directly at the hotel in order to invite guests to ask questions to your staff and take part as well.
Publish blog articles: get inspired by the excellent blog of Ka’Ana Resort.
Use Humor to better pass on the message, engage people and make them willing to take pictures of it and share it (on social media?). Read this article click here. ’

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www.villamarinalodge.com - reservations@villamarina.com.pa - +507 832-5044

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Become Hopinoer
Contact :
Florie Thielin
floriethielin@gmail.com
www.hopineo.org
www.thehospitalitytour.com
www.facebook.com/thehospitalitytour
This document was elaborated for the Villa Marina Lodge, Panama, in a serie of works and studies allowing tourism professional to make their activity more sustainable. What is missing? Which improvments could be done? Please, feel to free to share with us your feedback to continue building together a better future for Hopineo, its partners, and more globally for a more responsible tourism.
« The recognition of tourism as an economic powerhouse and contributor to all three pillars of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social – underlined the enduring relevance of UNWTO’s mission to promote responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. »
World Tourism Organization, 2013