An environmentally friendly tourism management distinguishes the Meliá Cayo Coco Hotel, a facility in the Jardines del Rey destination – in the north of the province of Ciego de Ávila – which reaffirms its commitment to sustainability by celebrating today the 25th anniversary of its founding.

Niurka Hernández, deputy director of this five-star accommodation centre designed for adults, stressed, in statements to the Cuban News Agency, the privilege of working in a place where environmental protection was considered from the moment the infrastructure was conceived.

During the construction process, he argued, the vegetation was respected; only indispensable movements were made in the terrain and some areas remain intact, also as a result of the will and responsibility of the workers to preserve the natural values, in such a way that they constitute themselves as zealous guardians of the environment.

On arriving at the hotel, one senses a climate of respect and tranquillity, transmitted by the good condition of the green areas, which serve as a refuge for numerous species of fauna, mainly birds, whose song enlivens the stay and, generally, is the only sound that can be heard during the tours of the residential areas.

The source referred to the efforts to conserve the segment of beach near the hotel, where they are restoring the vegetation of the dunes, affected by Hurricane Irma in 2017, as well as maintaining the access walkways to the resort in good condition and raising the nearby buildings on piles so that the sand can circulate and the plants can grow.

He said that coastal rehabilitation actions strengthen resilience to climate change and, in the particular case of the dunes, dissipate wave energy, which reduces the penetration of the sea caused by extreme hydro-meteorological events.

Workers are involved in planting native plants and cleaning the resort, activities that integrate customers through the Ecofriendly educational project, which promotes responsible tourism with nature.

In addition, workers from the Empresa de Servicios del Turismo (Emprestur) are contracted for regular cleaning of the beach area, which is carried out manually to avoid damaging the coastal ecosystem.

Just a few years ago – he recalled – in the Las Coloradas beach resort, where the Meliá Cayo Coco is located, the dumping of sand improved the conditions of the area, including the expansion of some 50 metres, so that the quality for sun and beach tourism increased, and there are greater possibilities for the adequate exploitation of this area.

In different areas, public good messages (in several languages) call for the protection of flora and fauna, as well as orienting and promoting environmental culture among customers and workers.

The assistant manager of the Hotel Meliá Cayo Coco appreciated that the improvements in the environment create opportunities for a tourist facility with a rate of repeat visitors among the highest in Cuba, due to the fact that some clients stay up to four times during a year.

With a track record of environmental respect, they also promote energy efficiency, including saving electricity and progressively developing renewable sources, as well as adopting measures for the rational consumption of water and its reuse in gardening activities.

Having received numerous awards for the protection of the ecosystem, this hotel aspires to the National Environmental Recognition for Tourist Use Beaches, established by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, in Resolution 305 of 2020, to improve the management of these resorts and orient it towards sustainability.

This stimulus aims to create the premises so that, gradually, Cuban beaches can participate in existing international programmes and obtain the awards or distinctions that are granted.