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Jetwing Eco Initiatives

By noor ⋅ July 29, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

The Jetwing Hotel chain in Sri Lanka has started to gain recognition for their thriving efforts towards adapting green initiatives, in a project which is also known as the Jetwing Eternal Earth Project (JEEP). The company’s main objectives are to create awareness about global warming and its effects, as well as carrying out its corporate social responsibilities in minimising its carbon footprint.

Their primary focus lies therein to create a template of re-forestation at the Jetwing Hunas Fall retreat. This hotel is situated by the picturesque Hunas Falls and amidst the cool hill country of Sri Lanka. They also hope to create this model of re-forestation in a manner which will allow it to be replicated/adapted for different climatic zones, along with small scale plots of land. This model, the process of its establishment and its outcome, can thereafter be used to educate and to allow for adaptation.

The Jetwing Chain’s main belief is that the best way to nurture awareness is by educating the younger generation. By doing this, children can then act on what they know, while simultaneously imparting this knowledge to their elders and the generations to follow. As they think that school children are a vital link in the education of eco initiatives, one of their primary objectives is for each Jetwing unit (such as a hotel), to nurture 2 schools in their respective area and educate the children on good ‘Earth Saving Practices’ (ESPs).

Ideally, Jetwing employees, hotel guests and the local communities are also to be a part of this education process, so that in turn, they can understand their responsibilities and the ways by which they can contribute to minimising global warming and its subsequent effects. As the Hunas Falls Hotel is the site of the re-forestation project, an “Earth Centre” is also to be established there. This will be a place where knowledge which has been researched and gathered, will be easily accessible to those who require it. This centre is targeted to be made available to any school in Sri Lanka, to encourage visits from them with the help of well structured presentations and education material, which in turn will foster ‘Earth Saving Practices’.

Jetwing also encourages the growth of local communities which are self-sustainable economically, by learning things such as ‘Analog Forestation’ and ‘Forest Gardening System’. At the same time, these practices are to be backed with green practices such as; scientific waste disposal, minimum carbon emission, preventing harmful land clearing etc. This way not only with these people be able to help themselves, they will also simultaneously be able to do so by practising eco initiatives.

A main aspect of the chain’s secondary goals is to be associated with Sri Lanka Tourism’s “Earth Lung” initiative as a responsible tourism partner. The “Earth Lung” initiative, which is being driven by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, is basically a set of established codes for each of the industry’s sub sectors in relation to encouraging the adoption of greener practices. Jetwing also intends to take this a step further by researching and minimising carbon emissions which are a result of tourist related activities.

Not all their efforts are on a large scale basis. The truth of the matter is, that in cases where a hotel has already been established, what Jetwing can do now is start on a small scale with looking after basic practices such as; changing to energy saving light bulbs, discontinuing the use of plastic bags, using bio degradable chemicals in laundries etc. These practices have been carried out in hotels such as the Jetwing Beach, Jetwing Vil Uyana and Jetwing Lighthouse and have resulted in minimising the company’s carbon footprint noticeably.

As a further effort, the green practices for each hotel has been documented in a project known as the Jetwing ‘Green Directories’. As a result, these directories have become a text book example for environmental awareness, at a series of seminars conducted by an environmentalist in Germany who has spent much of his time researching in Sri Lanka.

One of its latest additions to its chain has been the Hotel Vil Uyana, which is located 5km from the Sigiriya the ‘8th Wonder of the World.’ This is a first for Sri Lankan tourism, with Jetwing integrating a luxurious retreat, harmoniously with nature and great cultural heritage. Vil Uyana consists of villas which are located within a private nature reserve, surrounded by wildlife and set amidst wetlands. The hotel is possibly the first in the world to construct a wetland system with lakes and reed beds to form a private nature reserve. 5 acres of land was used to re-grow paddy, using traditional methods of farming and harvesting, providing a new and exciting feature.

Tags: Leisure, sri-lanka