As can be inferred from the prolification of environmentally-conscious travel agencies, ‘green hotels’, and consumers associations, travellers seem to be increasingly concerned about the impact of tourism on the environment in the destinations they visit.To answer this growing demand and help conscious travellers plan their next trip to the Caribbean, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) has launched a new page on its website, www.cha-cast.com, featuring the list of all Caribbean properties that can boast a Green Globe 21 certification or benchmark.

This coveted designation is awarded only to those properties that can demonstrate the highest standards in terms of environmental management and conservation, with for example efficient energy and water-saving systems, as well as social programs involving local communities.

The list, broken down by country, features a link to each property’s website to facilitate access to more information, and a logo indicating the achieved Green Globe 21 level (benchmarked, simple logo; or certified, logo with a white tick). The webpage also features information on awards won by the properties, examples of best practices, and results from a survey carried out in 2004 with properties involved in the Green Globe 21 benchmark or certification process.

As of March 2005, there are 67 Green Globe 21 certified properties, an increase of 35% since last year, and the number is likely to keep growing steadily, since there are currently 16 benchmarked properties who are working hard on achieving the certification.
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