Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a cleaner, greener planet by forming an inspiring new partnership with KTC Credit Card to drive a series of critical sustainability projects at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, the popular five-star beachfront destination.
Together, these two proactive companies will align their CSR programmes and advance environmental awareness among their eco-conscious customers. As part of this collaboration, KTC and Centara will jointly host a fam trip to Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket in May this year, which will showcase and advance the company’s 360-degree activities.
Under its global sustainability strategy, “For a Better Tomorrow”, Centara has adopted a group-wide approach to environmental preservation and social responsibility. It became the first Asian hospitality group to incorporate the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) criteria into its internal sustainability standard, called “Centara EarthCare”, which is based on four pillars: Environment, Social, Cultural, and Management. It also tracks, measures, benchmarks and enhances its performance using the “Greenview Portal” a third-party GSTC-recognised system.
In the past year, 24 of Centara’s properties have been approved for GSTC certification, and the company is working towards its long-term goal of achieving full certification by 2025. In the longer term, Centara is striving to reduce its waste and carbon emissions by 20% within the end of the decade. In line with this target, a recent MoU will lead to the integration of “smart energy”, including solar power, at the group’s properties.
Nestled on a pristine stretch of Karon Beach and surrounded by lush greenery, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket is a five-star oasis of tranquility for all guests, from couples to families. In keeping with Centara’s global strategy, this idyllic resort has implemented a wide range of environmental initiatives, such as a wastewater treatment plant to irrigate the gardens, a biogas machine to create organic fuel and fertiliser, and solar cells which are now generating more than 572 kilowatts of green energy to power the property.
Daily beach cleaning activities remove potentially harmful litter and plastic from the shore, and turtle signage has been posted on the beach to educate visitors about leatherback turtles – the world’s largest species of sea turtle – which lay their eggs in the sand.
“At Centara, we are fully committed to being a force for good and making a difference in every destination we operate. As part of our journey to inspire positive change, we are delighted to team up with KTC, our like-minded partner, who will help us to advance the cause of sustainability in Phuket, one of the world’s most idyllic destinations. We look forward to working together to create a brighter tomorrow,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
