Making a Difference – Shore-Based Holidays
90% of our shore-based accommodation is based in small locally owned hotels, or small Neilson-managed hotels, in preference to the larger chains. In both our locally owned and our own-managed properties local people are employed and training and promotion opportunities are provided where appropriate.
By avoiding fully inclusive board arrangements and by recommendations in our literature and in briefings, we encourage our guests to eat out where possible to enhance their holiday experience and boost the local economies. Where we manage accommodation units all food and drink is sourced locally where possible.
On our shore-based activities programmes we have been employing and training local people as assistant instructors with the long term goal of their achieving professional Royal Yachting Association Instructor Qualifications.
The majority of our activities programmes are based on wind, pedal or muscle power, providing enough energy to satisfy most thrill-seeking speed freaks in the most environmentally benign way we know how. We can also cater for our more sedate guests, however! We no longer use anti-fouling on our day boats and where possible we use 4-stroke outboard engines on our powerboats to reduce noise, fuel consumption and emissions.
Getting it Pegged: We have tasked our overseas staff to identify 3 long-term initiatives that will bring positive benefits to the economies, communities and environments in which they live and work. The initiatives must be based around the three facets of sustainability via our own acronym PEG (People, Economy, Green). Here are some of the initiatives our staff have taken on.
Making a Difference – In Halkidiki
Here in Halkidiki we recognise that our tourism and hotel business has both a positive and negative impact on the local area and environment. Therefore as a responsible business the Anastasia Resort team works towards a long term policy to ensure we reduce the negative impacts as much as possible.
We are a dedicated team and work hard to ensure that the policies in place are implemented to a high standard; in addition we still maintain and expand upon the positive impacts that we have in the local area.
The actions that are in place in the Anastasia Resort are:
People
- We encourage guests to help us with the actions that we put into place
- We have a high number of local staff in the Anastasia Resort. They all work within the Greek law and are paid locally complying with all local tax and employment laws
- We offer excursions to local areas to generate revenue in those shops and restaurants
- We actively support the charity ‘Sail4Cancer’ in our resort, raising funds to help cancer patients learn new skills and enjoy our holidays.
- We show respect to the local people and community at all times
- We encourage our staff and guests to learn a few words of Greek
- If we have any old kit we offer this to local people and the Greek Children Village SOS, an orphanage in Plagiari-Micros
- We set up a link with the local community to enable them to learn new water activities in our centre
Economy
- The primary beer on offer on draught is Hellas Pils, a Greek beer
- We offer a selection of local Greek wines on our menu
- There are 3 non-inclusive nights for our guests to dine out if they wish, bringing money into local businesses
- To support local business and wherever possible, source supplies from the local community
- We have introduced yachts into Halkidiki, therefore increasing the amount of guests in the local area and the revenue to local shops as these guests are on a self catering program
- We rent staff accommodation in the local village, therefore bringing them a source of income
Green
- We have a battery recycling collection facility in our lobby area
- All water taps are fitted with an aerator or flow restrictor
- All paper used is reused and recycled wherever possible
- We encourage guests to take showers not baths, and most staff rooms are only fitted with showers
- All hotel rooms have a electricity system so that the supply of electricity is limited when the key cards are not in the socket, housekeeping staff will remove any that are left in when guests are out when servicing the rooms
- We have an ‘unplug’ policy, which means that the housekeeping team will unplug any laptops or phone chargers that are left in use when no one is in the room
- No air conditioning unit will turn on if the windows or doors are open
- The waste water is treated onsite in a biological unit and reused on the grounds
- We have a litter picking scheme, on land and at sea. We pick any litter up that is seen around resort and always ensure we put our own litter in the bin. We also persevere to clean the harbour area with our powerboats
- Ensure the bike ride routes are respectful to the local surroundings.
- We are members of Arion, which is a non-profitable organization that rescues and rehabilitates Cetaceans (dolphins and whales). This is important to us because of the activities we offer in resort, therefore we are aware of how to spot these creatures and who to call should we see one of these animals in a state of distress
- All of the cleaning chemicals we use are supplied by Ecolab, who are certified with Product Quality ISO 9001 and Environment ISO 14001 because they are safe for the environment and biodegradable
- All of the Kitchen and Maintenance oil is recycled
- In our attempts to improve your holiday environment your help and understanding is vital. Help us protect and preserve this local environment and go a little way to helping protect Mother Earth and at the same time, the quality of our life
The Anastasia Team
June 2010
Making a Difference - in Turkey
During the winter we set up a Neilson Training Academy to support all three of our Turkish centres in Phokaia, Ortakent and Teos. We employed 35 Turkish staff and spent two months training them up to work as part of the Beach teams in our resorts for this summer.
We provided free accommodation and food, taught them all to sail dinghies and windsurfers and then flew out RYA trainers to run an instructor course for them, of whom 85% passed. Those who passed now have an internationally recognised qualification. Then we trained them up to safety boat standard on powerboats, gave them daily English lessons, put them on a six week course to do all their Turkish captain’s license courses so they can drive powerboats and ski boats legally in Turkey. We also put them all through their emergency first response first aid course. And then we took seven of them and trained them to drive ski boats and take their first steps in teaching wakeboarding and skiing.
In Club Phokaia we have got it Pegged:
People
- Commissioning weekly English lessons from a fully trained English teacher for all Turkish staff (Active and Hospitality)
- Our Turkish staff are teaching English staff Turkish lessons
- All staff are given responsible tourism training at start of season.
Economy:
- Market bike rides (twice on Tuesday) and coffee shop cruises
- We invite local businesses to set up shops on site to sell to guests
- We only provide 4 evening meals in the resort giving them the opportunity to go into town and eat in the local restaurants.
- We have a local cruise boat company come and do cruises into town on those evenings
Green:
- Orak Island beach clean up. This started on World Environment Day we have been going onto the island opposite our centre and doing weekly clean ups of the island.
- We respect local laws by telling guests to keep off Orak Island which is the home of the monk seals. Only 400 left in the world and no-one is allowed on the island without permission
- Recycling all our old oil
- All tennis court lights are only turned on only when needed
- Air conditioning in hotel is controlled by key card so cannot be left on when leaving the room. Air con turns off when doors and windows are opened
- Finally. The Club Phokaia hotel is only one of 25 Hotels in Turkey that have been awarded a White Star Award for sustainable environmental efficiency covering:
- Waste management
- Water management
- Air pollution
- Energy efficiency
- Chemical pollution
- Architectural surroundings
- Environment awareness
- Harmony of the hotel and grounds.
The scheme was started by Turofed, the Turkish Hoteliers Federation, in 2008. This is the second year we have received the award.
Club Phokaia Team
July 2010
In Club Teos we have got it Pegged:
People:
- We have employed 10 local staff on the beach/ski team and invested in training them up to become qualified instructors
- 90% of our hospitality staff are local
- Bike rides go to the local markets giving the guests time to buy locally sourced gifts and food
- We have regular “Sail4Cancer” nights raising both money and awareness for this great charity
- Encourage UK staff to learn Turkish
• Always show respect when in the local towns and areas
- We are giving free English lessons to all of our local staff and are attempting to do Turkish lessons for the UK staff.
- We outsource various activities to local businesses, including scuba diving, laundry, security services, gardeners and maintenance in hotel.
Economy:
- We have 3 non-inclusive nights, so the guests can eat in the local restaurants
- Some of our staff accommodation is rented through houses owned by the local villagers
- We have Efes beer on tap in the bar which is a Turkish beer
- We offer a selection of local Turkish wines on our menu (90 % of wines we serve are Turkish wines)
- We offer excursions to local areas to generate revenue in those shops and restaurants
- We buy local food wherever possible (vegetables, fruits etc.)
- To support local business and wherever possible, we source supplies from the local community
Green:
- We use key cards in all the rooms so the electricity is switched off when guests leave their room
- Do not use any harmful liquids to clean the boats
- We give guests a chance to re-use towels
- All of our safety boats are 4-stroke engines, minimising the harmful emissions
- Ensure bike rides do not disturb local farmers or fishermen
- We have a constant litter pick policy – If you see litter anywhere on site pick it up!
- The waste water is treated onsite in a biological unit and reused on the grounds
- In all our rooms we have showers not bath tubs
- No air conditioning unit will turn on if the windows or doors are open
- All of the cleaning chemicals we use are supplied by Ecolab, who are certified with Product Quality ISO 9001 and Environment ISO 14001 because they are safe for the environment and biodegradable
- All of the Kitchen and Maintenance oil is recycled
- We use energy efficient light bulbs across resort
Club Teos Team
July 2010
Making a Difference – In Sivota
As part of our responsible business policy, the team at the Retreat Hotel have recognized that our tourism and hotel business has both a positive and negative impact on the local area and environment.
We are dedicated to ensure, as much as possible, that we continue to reduce the negative impact our business may have while maintaining and expanding any areas we can to improve the positive impacts for the region.
With this in mind, the following policies have been implemented at the Retreat Hotel:
People
- All full season staff will have training a session on Responsible Business and our policy and actions
- 40% of staff at the Retreat are local. They all work within the legal guidelines and are paid locally complying with all local tax and employment laws.
- We offer local excursions to places of interest
- Our responsible business policy is displayed for our guests on a notice board at both receptions
- We actively support the “sail 4 cancer” charity in resort, raising funds to a set target.
- Monitor and review our environmental and responsible business policy regularly.
Economy
- We have a Greek Beer (Zorbas) as our tap beer.
- 3 non–inclusive evening meal nights means money into local businesses –Including social nights for yacht guests meal out and Tag group meal out.
- All our fresh bread comes from a bakery in Sivota.
- This season we have a flotilla of 11 yachts based in Sivota harbour, increasing income to local tavernas, shops and bars.
Green
- We have installed in both receptions “recycle your old batteries” bins and organised for the company to collect them when they are full.
- Towel saving policy in the rooms in place.
- All water taps have aerators or flow restrictors
- Energy efficient bulbs are installed in lobby and spa areas.
- Paper used in faxes / printers is used on both sides for internal company documents.
- All hotel rooms have showers - no baths on site.
- All hotel rooms work with electricity fobs on the key rings so that power in the room is off when the guests are out. (Except fridges)
- All cleaning chemicals used are bio-degradable and safe for the environment.
- Two of the new yachts based in the Neilson flotilla at Sivota have solar panels to recharge their batteries.
- New ski-boat with new hi-tech, low emission engine runs on diesel, consumes half the fuel that the old ski-boats consumed and is a great deal quieter.
- All waste water is treated in our onsite biological unit
- Fully comply with all environmental laws, regulations and requirements related to our business.
- Advertised World Environment day on 5th June and did 2 separate clean-up activities, of road and sea floor, during the day
- We have contracted a company to take all of our old kitchen oil and it is converted to Bio-diesel.
The Retreat Team
July 2010
Making a Difference - in Lemnos
In Lemnos we have got it Pegged!
People
- 40% of the staff employed at the hotel are Greek. They all work within Greek law and are paid locally complying with all local tax and employment laws
- We actively support the charity Sail4Cancer (http://www.sail4cancer.org/index.php) in our resort, raising funds to help cancer patients learn new skills and enjoy our holidays.
- We show respect to the local people and community at all times.
- All staff had an induction into the importance of responsible tourism.
- We encourage our staff and guests to learn a few words of Greek. These are in our welcome pack and we also organise free Greek lessons for guests each week so they can learn some words before heading into town.
- If we have any old kit/equipment we donate it to local good causes.
- A member of staff is doing his dissertation on sustainable tourism, using Neilson as a case study, and will report back with findings.
Economy
- During the fit out of the new centre all resources were purchased through local suppliers, giving a boost to the local community. These suppliers continue to support the centre for spares etc.
- The primary beer on offer on draught is Zorbas, a Greek beer
- We offer a selection of local Greek wines on our menu. Lemnos is famous for its white wine.
- There are 3 non-inclusive nights for our guests to dine out if they wish, bringing money into local businesses.
- To support local business and wherever possible, source supplies from the local community.
- We use local suppliers for our excursions.
- We rent staff accommodation in the local village, therefore bringing them a source of income.
Green
- We have a battery recycling collection facility in our reception area
- All office paper used is reused and recycled wherever possible
- We offer a water bottle re-filling station at a reduced costs to guests to help reduce plastic water bottle waste as there are no recycling facilities
- All rooms have cards asking guests to reuse towel if appropriate
- All hotel rooms have a electricity system so that the supply of electricity is limited when the key fobs are not in the socket.
- When servicing the rooms, housekeeping staff will remove any that are left in when guests are out.
- The waste water is treated onsite in a biological unit and reused on the grounds
- For World Environment Day we pick up litter around resort and along the beach
The Lemnos Team
August 2010
Making a Difference – In Vassiliki
In Vassiliki we've got it pegged!
At the start of the season we all sat down and came up with the following ideas...just a few small changes to our lifestyle habits will show our support for looking after the people and environment which makes Vassiliki.... Vassiliki!
People:
- Show respect to local people when the language barrier causes problems
- Learn some Greek; put a Greek phrase on the Wednesday blackboard each week for both staff and guests to learn.
- Linda is running Greek lessons for staff on Saturday mornings.
- Keep the road around staff house free of litter to help landlady.
- Organise an open day for local kids to learn to windsurf
- Organise football or basketball games with other centres and with the locals.
- Put a notice in the TV room to let guests know how they can help.
Economy:
- Encourage staff and guests to use the small independent supermarkets as opposed to the larger conglomerates.
- Ask local crafts people to join in with our charity summer fete, selling jewellery, honey, olives etc
- Make sure bike rides stop in local villages and use the amenities. Try to vary where they stop.
- Organise a social to the new wine museum
Green:
- Ensure bike rides respect farmers’ fields and pathways
- Turn the TV off rather than leave it on standby.
- Pick up rubbish on way to work, on beach etc
- Turn office laptop off, when not in use rather than leave on standby.
- Turn off lights in the staff house, especially remember the balcony lights!
- Put signs in hotel rooms asking guests to r-use their towels.
- Ensure ashtrays are available at the bar, so guests can use them on sun lounges and not drop butts on beach or grass.
- Be personally aware of your impact on the environment e.g. using too much water in the shower, buying a new plastic bottles of water every day instead of re-filling it, using a car to drive to the shop instead of biking etc
Making a Difference – In Lesvos
Local Schoolchildren Initiative:
Pre-season, all the pupils of local school in Lesvos (teenagers) were invited to the hotel with their teachers. They were given an educational tour of the hotel, played tennis, and had a great buffet lunch. This was followed by a quiz, where they were tested in a numbers quiz about their time at the hotel (e.g. how many flowers have we planted in the last week, how many gears are on the mountain bikes, how many staff do we employ, etc.). The two winners, a boy and a girl, won the prize of being able to come to the beach as often as they wish during the summer for watersports lessons. Both have since progressed very nicely and have achieved their RYA Level 1 and are now able to bring a friend each time to take them out sailing. This initiative was very well received indeed in the local community.
Riverbank Replanting Initiative:
Pre-season, I met an ex-pat in the community of many years, Don Matthews. He was very interested to learn about our company and I explained to him our responsible tourism initiatives. Over successive meetings, I have committed to him that, when time allows, we will send a team of staff to assist in clearing/replanting the local riverbanks, which have suffered over the recent years as a result of rain shortfalls and poorly executed river management schemes.
Local Dog Refuge:
We made a cash donation of €100 to the Local Dog Refuge, which takes care of the stray dog population and finds them new homes throughout Greece and the rest of Europe.
Use of Local Suppliers:
Wherever possible, we are using local suppliers for our main food supplies. We have negotiated very good prices for local meats, which (considering the volume requirements of this hotel) has inevitably positively affected the local economy, including additional employment of staff at his operation. Additionally, we buy some of our fruits and vegetables locally, as well as cheeses and other food.
Making a Difference – In Dahab
- All packaging from new equipment (which was lots!) was recycled at the local Dahab recycling depot
- Many of our guests and staff got involved in a clean up of the three pools dive site which is in the edge of the Namq National Park
- We have five Egyptian staff who are all being trained to drive power boats and to instruct in either dinghy sailing or windsurfing.
- We have run a few windsurfing lessons for some of the local kids which also provided some great teaching experience for our Egyptian staff.