Luang Prabang (Laos) – February 6, 2020 (travelindex.com) – In the lush, jungle-clad hills of northern Laos, one resort is proving that international tourism can operate in perfect harmony with the environment. Nestled among 16 hectares of beautiful countryside just outside Luang Prabang, the exquisite UNESCO World Heritage city, Pullman Luang Prabang is woven into the natural and cultural fabric of its destination.
Since it opened its doors in 2019, this low-impact resort has developed and implemented a series of important environmental initiatives, including organic farming, local community partnerships and eco-friendly guest activities. These efforts have now been recognised and rewarded by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Pullman Luang Prabang has received the 7th ASEAN Green Hotel Standard Award, which celebrates hotels and resorts that operate in accordance with ASEAN’S high standards. This covers a wide range of areas such as waste and water management, use of green products, human resources, pollution control and energy efficiency. Pullman Luang Prabang was the only property in Luang Prabang to receive this prestigious award.
“At Pullman Luang Prabang, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Many hotels implement environmental projects, but we actually operate in a way that is fully integrated with our eco-system. This means that guests can rest assured that the food they eat is locally sourced, the water they use is treated and recycled, and that everyone in our supply chain benefits from the success of our resort. We want to create a positive impact within our destination, and to enable our guests to be part of the experience. I am delighted that ASEAN has recognised our efforts with the Green Hotel Standard Award. In future, we will continue striving for a cleaner and greener tourism industry in Laos,” said Denis Dupart, General Manager, Pullman Luang Prabang.
The hard work starts in resort’s own rice fields, which are cultivated in a traditional way by local farmers using water buffalo. In this mutually beneficial arrangement, the farmers keep 60% of the harvested rice, while the remaining 40% goes to the hotel. The latest harvest produced 3.5 tonnes of rice.
The experience enables guests to learn about the rice cultivation process by helping to plant and harvest the rice, and they receive their own 100 gram bags of organic rice for free when they check out. The next rice harvest is expected to place in April.
This forms a key part of Pullman Luang Prabang’s self-sufficiency concept, through which the resort grows as much of its own produce as possible in an extensive onsite organic farm. Created in partnership with EcoAsia, the environmental consultancy company, this fertile farmstead currently supplies the hotel’s chefs with up to 100kg of fresh vegetables and herbs per month. Other ingredients are sourced from responsible local businesses, including the Namkhan Project, an eco-farm which has helped to reverse soil degradation, and Laos Buffalo Dairy, a unique CSR project that creates an additional revenue stream for the animals’ owners.
Underpinning the resort’s activities is its new Sustainability Guide, which will be launched soon and will be available in every guest room.
The largest hotel in Luang Prabang with 123 rooms and suites, multiple F&B outlets, three swimming pools, a luxury spa and extensive facilities for meetings and events, Pullman Luang Prabang is proving that true sustainability is not only possible for small-scale eco-resorts, but that it can also be achieved by major international hotels.
For more information about Pullman Luang Prabang, please visit www.pullman-luangprabang.com
About Pullman Luang Prabang:
Pullman Hotels & Resorts delivers an experience that is upscale, upbeat and perfectly in tempo with the global zeitgeist. Against the backdrop of today’s fast paced life, Pullman helps guests be at their best, in business and at leisure, enabling them to seamlessly conduct business, explore the locale, workout and make connections – to the neighborhood and people around them. Retaining the values of exploration, comfort and dependability that drove it to become a pioneering travel brand over 150 years ago, Pullman today features more than 120 worldwide properties including Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, Pullman Park Lane Hong Kong, Pullman Shanghai South, Pullman London St Pancras and Pullman Sao Paulo Vila Olimpia. Pullman is part of AccorHotels, a world-leading travel and lifestyle group which invites travelers to feel welcome at more than 4,600 hotels, resorts and residences, along with some 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe.
