RCI Announces Go Green Award Winner
Thursday 23rd September 2010
RCI, the global leader in holiday exchange, announced the winner and the runners-up of its "Going Green Awards" during this week's Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council conference.
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Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Seven Mile Beach was awarded first prize, whilst Club Phaihia in New Zealand and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Dunsborough received runner-up prizes. Each of the three winners was also awarded a cash donation, in recognition of their commitment to sustainable environmental practices, to expand their environmental programmes.
The Going Green Awards were developed in alliance with Dr. David Weaver, Professor of Tourism Research, School of Tourism and Leisure, Hotel & Sport Management at Griffith University. The awards were inspired by the top green certifications and awards within the tourism industry that are currently in circulation.
With a focus on RCI's affiliate timeshare resort operations in the Pacific, all entrants were assessed through two stages. In the self-assessment stage, the resorts were requested to assess the ecologically-friendly methods currently practised within their resorts and provide proof in the form of documentation where available. The second stage focused on inspection in which Dr. Weaver visited the shortlisted resorts that had succeeded in passing stage one, where an on-site inspection and interview were then conducted.
Dr. Weaver described how the awards aim to encourage resorts to consider what they are doing for the environment and how they could improve, thus the term "going green" as it is an ongoing process.
