The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. More than 1 billion international tourists travel the world each year creating a powerful and transformative force for sustainable development not just within the tourism industry but within the spheres of environment, government, and culture.
The Pointhouse was one of the early sustainable accommodation businesses to sign on with Green Tourism, the world’s largest and most credible sustainable tourism certification program. First time around we earned a Silver designation. It’s already been two years and we’re gearing up for our re-certification, going for the Gold this time.
Projects we’ve been working on include switching both guesthouses, the Aerie and our new Annex, entirely to environmentally friendly lighting, the majority LED with a small percentage CFL. Habitat for Humanity was pleased to accept all of the old bulbs which still have many hours of life left.
We also completed another green roof on the Zen Teahouse Studio full of foraged liquorice ferns, moss and lichens. Lots more drip irrigation to sustain healthier West Coast plant communities and help conserve water during our dry summers too.
In community efforts, along with the Sargeant Bay Society and the Sunshine Coast Regional District, we designed and participated in a year long study to measure the amount of organic food waste diverted from the landfill through a GreenCone backyard digester program. Unfortunately, success was limited as many participants in study sites experienced bear problems.
