HICAP Sustainable Hotel Award for Climate Action Winner – Hotel Magazine

Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia has received the 2022 Hotel Expenditure Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) Sustainable Hotel Award for Local weather Action.

In addition to local climate motion, there were being awards for building preservation/adaptive reuse, good neighborhood influence, and sustainable structure. Submissions have been assessed by 7 judges, the bulk from institutional sustainability backgrounds. The BHN Group, the organiser of the HICAP function, introduced the winners on 12 October 2022.

The judges dependent the weather motion selection on Cardamom Tented Camp’s means to work with companions to maintain 180 square kilometres of lowland rainforest in the Botum Sakor nationwide park in southwest Cambodia. On weather action, it is estimated that the forest that the camp will help shield sequesters about 108,652 tons of carbon per calendar year, in accordance to Wildlife Will work.

Given that opening in 2017, the tented camp’s motto has been, “Your Remain Keeps the Forest Standing.” It will make the claim simply because revenue from the camp aid the regular monthly salaries of 10 Wildlife Alliance forest rangers. The rangers safeguard the habitat from illegal poachers, loggers, riverbank sand dredgers and land encroachers.

Populations of elephant, leopard, python, sunlight bear, otter, pangolin and other wildlife are strengthening because of to camp-funded ranger patrols. The rangers have pressured poachers to the perimeters or out of the park entirely.

“Despite setbacks for the duration of the two Covid several years when tourism earnings drastically disappeared, Cardamom Tented Camp persevered in its environmental mission,” claimed Willem Niemeijer, CEO of camp operator YAANA Ventures. “We are grateful to HICAP for recognising our keeping electric power and potential to work with associates to retain the forest standing, with all the added benefits that bring.”

HICAP judges also thought of the camp’s sizeable contribution to UN Sustainable Progress Aims, these as lifetime on land, clean up and economical electrical power, decent do the job, economic growth, local climate motion, and partnerships. Cardamom Tented Camp is a partnership with Minor Resort Group’s sustainability arm, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Basis, Wildlife Alliance, and YAANA Ventures.

Beyond sequestering an approximated 108,652 tons of CO2 each year, the judges also recognised Cardamom Tented Camp’s extra environmental attempts, like remaining driven by 100 % onsite photo voltaic electricity for its electricity, lower-affect heating and cooking, and natural wastewater filtration procedures. The assets recycles as a great deal as achievable and employs 100 % organic and natural private care products and solutions. Potential options incorporate:

• Powering its boat with an electrical battery.
• Increasing regional and onsite meals sourcing.
• Endeavor community-primarily based conservation.

Apart from Cardamom Tented Camp’s environmental attempts, it also scores perfectly on hospitality and all-round visitor working experience metrics. The camp’s visitor fulfillment concentrations are rated five stars by TripAdvisor and have been so for three 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 successful concentrations in 2023. In parallel with this, YAANA Ventures will boost the forest rangers’ contributions.