The all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cancun, part of the Playa Hotels & Resorts family, was recently certified for its sustainable operations and management by Green Globe, the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses.
In doing so, this luxury resort became the first Hyatt property in Mexico to achieve this status.
"We are very proud to have been awarded with the Green Globe certification. As part of the tourism industry and as human beings we have been blessed by Mother Nature and should preserve it for future generations," Alexandre de Brouwer, Director General, Hyatt Ziva Cancun, said in a recent release. "This award is the result of consistent team work and marks our commitment to continuing to manage and operate our business with the environment, our local community and its culture and traditions in mind."
In setting out to achieve Green Globe certification, Hyatt Ziva Cancun established 11 sustainability teams to work on the four key areas of certification: Sustainable Management, Cultural Heritage, Social Economic and Environment. Teams met weekly to review and benchmark their sustainability initiatives, and meetings were held every other month with the General Manager to review their progress and determine opportunities for reaching their goals.
To further their advancement toward certification, the Hyatt Ziva Cancun established a Sustainability Development Department, which was tasked with overseeing initiatives geared to reducing the hotel operation's impact on the environment. Among its first steps was the establishment of a Sustainability Management System whose purpose was to promote a deeper understanding and respect for the local community and its cultural, social, archeological and natural heritage. A second prong of the system encourages responsible behavior in and around the hotel, while organizing, planning, prioritizing, managing and monitoring any sustainable development projects by the resort and its staff.
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The Hyatt Ziva Cancun and its staff have introduced numerous projects to promote and enhance the local community, as well as protect the natural surroundings. Among them are volunteer efforts undertaken by the resort's staff and management, including the Epiphany Caravan, which brings toys to impoverished children in the region, and an annual fundraising initiative to benefit Ciudad de la Alegria, a local organization that supports women, orphans and the elderly. The resort also works to raise awareness of larger societal issues in the region, including domestic violence, drug and alcohol addition, child abuse and sexual exploitation.
The resort is the only one in the area to be surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on three sides, and offers such upscale features and amenities as private balconies, a microbrewery, three infinity pools, the Zen Spa, the KidZ Club and the adults-only beachfront experience at Turquoize.
Among the resort-centric sustainability initiatives are waste segregation to better support on-site recycling efforts, water saving initiatives in guest rooms, the use of corn starch-based biodegradable food containers and the composting of food waste.
California-based Green Globe is represented in more than 83 countries and is an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
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