In our Green Pearls® newsletters, we share details about our hotels and destinations along with their green initiatives. We have dedicated our new series to the hoteliers who are committed to more sustainability in tourism and who continue to inspire us with their ideas on a daily basis.
Thailand is often underestimated when it comes to its sustainable efforts, however, it is setting an example globally through the projects that King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away in 2016, initiated more than 50 years ago. We have just reported on some of his projects in our newsletter.
Today’s first part of the journey takes us to Thailand, or more precisely to the island of Koh Phi Phi on Phuket. There you will find the Eco-Luxury Resort Zeavola. The motto of the resort is “back to simplicity”, it is modeled on a Thai village and endeavors to offer its guests authentic and local experiences, combined with the desire to strengthen intercultural exchange.
Florian Hallermann
Since 2008, Florian Hallermann has been the administrator and General Manager of the resort. After being responsible for eight hotel openings throughout his career, he found his destiny in Zeavola. Florian Hallermann grew up in a very environmentally-conscious family in Vienna, so it was a matter of the heart for him and also for the owner of the Zeavola to focus on sustainability. One of his first official acts as General Manager was to abolish plastic toiletries. He changed everything to regionally produced refillable ceramic bottles and was able to save about half a million plastic bottles over the last twelve years! This was the beginning of an ever-increasing shift towards sustainability. Over time, Florian Hallermann has learned to listen to the voice of nature. The Zeavola is embedded in a very fragile ecosystem and it is vital to listen to nature as a guide. Every step against it has consequences. Howevere, Florian Hallermann is not only concerned with the environment, but also about the surrounding communities as well as the hotel employees and their families. The Owners and General Manager attach great importance to socially acceptable working conditions that benefit everyone; happy employees also increase guest satisfaction.
His biggest challenge in implementing sustainable projects is the lack of knowledge about the latest technologies and practices. There is no technical manager, so initiative and creativity are required to keep up to date and find new technologies.
Florian Hallermann has achieved a lot, his sustainable initiatives have been awarded worldwide. He dedicates his life and work to make tourism more sustainable.
He has written a book about his experiences. Little Green Book
