With the aim of educating tourists and also giving them a wonderful new experience of the gifts of nature Bali Eco Resorts such as Alila Villas Soori has successfully integrated the above mentioned through their Green initiatives. The essence of the Green initiatives is understanding the local culture and appreciate and respect other people’s beliefs without harming the environment. It brings the tourist closer to nature and opens mind to new ideas along with new perspectives on life. It is proved to be an effective way of creating a positive impact on the community – economically, socially and culturally. As the term “Green initiatives” suggests, it is conscientious travel to natural areas which exploits natural resources without destroying the ecological equilibrium of an area and improves the well-being of the local people.

Green initiatives mainly include employing local people, developing the local workforce through skills training, using products and services from local suppliers, and educating guests on local culture and traditions. This is done by utilizing many environmentally sustainable design measures which includes local materials, water conservation with soaks and rain gardens and a waste water management system, using local plants from the special Bali savannah ecosystem, the deliberate use of sustainable or recycled materials, protection of the natural environment, and measured work practices throughout construction.

Providing health and safety education as well as teaching how to respect and protect the environment to the local community is an integral part of the Green Initiatives Programme. The key aspects of all activities are to respect and preserve the way of life and traditions of local communities and endeavour to minimise our impact on the environment by adhering to a policy of environmental sustainability. As recognition and reward for utilizing many environmentally sustainable design measures and principles the highest level of certification from EarthCheck as a Best Practice Building Planning and Design (BPDS) development was awarded.

Shehera Fioni is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Catalina Forbes. Her content is based on many thrilling escapades offered to travellers across the world.

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