Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia has won the 2022 Resort Expense Meeting Asia Pacific (HICAP) Sustainable Hotel Award for Local weather Motion.
In addition to weather motion, there ended up awards for developing preservation/adaptive reuse, good local community influence, and sustainable design and style. Submissions were assessed by seven judges, the vast majority from institutional sustainability backgrounds. The BHN Group, the organiser of the HICAP party, introduced the winners on 12 Oct 2022.
The judges primarily based the climate action choice on Cardamom Tented Camp’s skill to do the job with companions to protect 180 square kilometres of lowland rainforest in the Botum Sakor national park in southwest Cambodia. On local weather action, it is believed that the forest that the camp helps safeguard sequesters about 108,652 tons of carbon per yr, in accordance to Wildlife Functions.
Given that opening in 2017, the tented camp’s motto has been, “Your Continue to be Retains the Forest Standing.” It helps make the assert since income from the camp support the month-to-month salaries of 10 Wildlife Alliance forest rangers. The rangers guard the habitat from illegal poachers, loggers, riverbank sand dredgers and land encroachers.
Populations of elephant, leopard, python, sun bear, otter, pangolin and other wildlife are bettering thanks to camp-funded ranger patrols. The rangers have forced poachers to the perimeters or out of the park completely.
“Despite setbacks in the course of the two Covid yrs when tourism money drastically disappeared, Cardamom Tented Camp persevered in its environmental mission,” explained Willem Niemeijer, CEO of camp operator YAANA Ventures. “We are grateful to HICAP for recognising our keeping electricity and potential to do the job with companions to keep the forest standing, with all the gains that convey.”
HICAP judges also deemed the camp’s substantial contribution to UN Sustainable Growth Targets, such as lifetime on land, clean up and reasonably priced strength, respectable get the job done, economic development, local climate motion, and partnerships. Cardamom Tented Camp is a partnership with Small Hotel Group’s sustainability arm, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Basis, Wildlife Alliance, and YAANA Ventures.
Beyond sequestering an estimated 108,652 tons of CO2 annually, the judges also recognised Cardamom Tented Camp’s added environmental initiatives, like getting driven by 100 % onsite solar power for its electrical energy, very low-impression heating and cooking, and all-natural wastewater filtration procedures. The property recycles as a lot as possible and takes advantage of 100 % natural individual care products. Future strategies consist of:
- Powering its boat with an electric powered battery.
- Growing community and onsite meals sourcing.
- Endeavor community-based mostly conservation.
Aside from Cardamom Tented Camp’s environmental attempts, it also scores nicely on hospitality and all-round guest encounter metrics. The camp’s guest fulfillment concentrations are rated five stars by TripAdvisor and have been so for 3 a long time.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, YAANA Ventures estimates Cardamom Tented Camp will near in 2022 with about 80 percent of 2019’s occupancy and will return to successful amounts in 2023. In parallel with this, YAANA Ventures will raise the forest rangers’ contributions.
