INSIGHT
BRINGS HOPE
Aware of the need for responsible practice in resorts, leading tour
operators are using a system called Travelife to assess hotels.
Ian Taylor joined a TUI Travel audit of a property in Paphos
Cyprus is a destination with
the kind of pressure on water
and energy supplies that
makes responsible development
vital. So it is appropriate
resorts on the island have been
among the fi rst to be assessed
using the Travelife Sustainability
System developed by
the Federation of Tour Operators
and introduced last year.
Auditors run through a
checklist to assess a hotel’s policy
and practice on energy, water
and waste management, conservation,
employment, sourcing
and community relations.
The Aliathon in Paphos is a
900-bed holiday village of
apartments around a 3,000sq
PICTURE: ISTOCK TRAVELIFE
metre pool – with restaurants,
shops, several other pools,
gardens and sports facilities.
On a drought-affl icted
island, where water is shut off
every other day, the Aliathon
could present an unpromising
case for sustainability. But the
combination of an enlightened
owner, emphasis on long-term
investment and a partnership
with First Choice Holidays –
now part of TUI Travel –
has produced what
might be a model of
good practice.
The holiday
village opened in 1991
and went through a series of
expansions before a deal with
First Choice last year led to a
doubling in size and its exclusive
use by First Choice clients
for most of the year.
Power to the apartments is
controlled by a fob key so air
conditioning and lights are
only on when someone is in,
and sensors switch off both if a
room is empty. Opening a door
or window also turns off the
air conditioning.
The lobby, restaurants,
lounges and other public
areas rely mostly on natural
ventilation. Solar panels heat
most hot water. Some of the
energy for the air conditioning
is geothermal – taken from
the ground – and pool water is
also used for cooling.
Water conservation is vital.
Flow restrictors and aerated
taps and shower heads – which
mix air with the water – reduce
the fl ow of water in showers by
almost half. Dual-control toilet
fl ushes should also halve the
amount of water used. Towels
and bed linen are generally
changed every third day.
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