The following document is an extraction of case studies from local contexts to internationally renowned examples of successful sustainable tourism projects.
Case study 1: Sea Going Green’s work with Sustain Sharjah, UAE (2023 - present)
Summary: The Sustain Sharjah platform aspires to make Sharjah’s tourism sector climate conscious, water-wise, less wasteful, nature positive, culturally engaged and position the destination to become a leader in education on sustainability.
In line with the UAE’s hosting of COP28, the launch of the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, and Sharjah’s ambitions to become a sustainable tourism destination, the project scope co-developed by Sea Going Green, established a vision and created website platform to share knowledge and enable interactive features that empower partners and stakeholders from the public and private sectors in Sharjah to calculate, monitor and assess their carbon footprint of their businesses for cost savings and environmental management through the six themes of: Climate, Waste, Water, Nature, Culture and Education. The goals of the platform aspire to make Sharjah’s tourism sector climate conscious, water-wise, less wasteful, nature positive, culturally engaged and position the destination to become a leader in education on sustainability. The platform additionally focuses on four anchor themes (Explore Nature, Explore Heritage, Sustainable Stays and Sustainable Food) to encompass the different elements of sustainability that guests will encounter over the course of their trip. The anchor themes aim to increase awareness on the many facets of Sharjah’s sustainability landscape, while providing useful recommendations to help guests plan their itineraries. Together the platform suffices as a foundational tool from which sustainable tourism in Sharjah can be built upon.
Sea Going Green conducted desktop and market research on top of extensive stakeholder consultations to provide an outline of Sharjah’s sustainability landscape, current tourism offering and future goals and milestones, underlining international and regional best practices for sustainable tourism. Using this information, Sea Going Green, alongside a team of website developers from Vsourz, mapped and co-developed a website platform, integrating original content in the form of 20+ articles and webpages, 100+ resources, a carbon footprint calculator, sustainability map, resource library, and sustainability journey platform. Engagement and marketing strategies additionally suggested platforms, networks, organizations, influencers and other means of spreading awareness on Sharjah’s growing reputation for sustainability.
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Case study 2: Sea Going Green’s work in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia (2023)
Summary: Sea Going Green led in the recommendation of tourism products and services tied to the resort that embody the principles of social, cultural and environmental sustainability.
Sea Going Green co-developed a comprehensive Eco-Tourism Master Plan for the development of a luxury hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a first step in the planning and development of an Ecotourism node within the resort, Sea Going Green led in the recommendation of tourism products and services tied to the resort that embody the principles of social, cultural and environmental sustainability.
The project scope provides a balanced mix of assets and experiences across its three nodes with the goal of promoting and activating these niche tourism industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The intention of the project is to tie local culture into the social and cultural fabric of the local area’s rich heritage and tradition as an agricultural hub. Features for the resort aspire to incorporate authentic and genuine elements into its design and guest experiences found throughout the resort's activities, architecture, sourcing practices, biodiversity, history and traditions.
Sea Going Green was contracted to develop the ecotourism node together with the lead design consultant and other project stakeholders for the delivery of a Tourism Master Plan.
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Case study 3: Luxury sustainable hotels in the Middle east
Aiming to be the greenest desert resort in the world, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara has a number of sustainable and unique initiatives in place earning the Gold status in the Green Growth Awards. The Green Growth Awards cover a wide range of CSR goals from Environmental Stewardship to Health and Safety and Human Rights.
Located in Abu Dhabi’s Liwa Desert, the 5-star Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara represents sustainable luxury as a world-class experience.
Aiming to be the greenest desert resort in the world, Qasr Al Sarab has a number of sustainable and unique initiatives in place earning the Gold status in the Green Growth Awards. The Green Growth Awards cover a wide range of CSR goals from Environmental Stewardship to Health and Safety and Human Rights.
The resort's operational practices range from water, energy and waste management to enhanced mobility. Making strides towards zero waste, the kitchens at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort have their own compost area onsite which is then used for their vegetable greenhouse and herb garden. The garden is then used to supply organic produce for signature items on the menu. To eliminate and manage waste appropriately, the resort has created its own on site sewage treatment plant to recycle water. 100% of the gray water at the resort is used to irrigate its gardens, while cardboard, oil, paper, and bars of soap are all recycled.
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Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, offers its guests an opportunity to stay overnight in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR). Next to its various eco-friendly measures such as turning cooking oil into biodiesel, the resort prides itself in its desert regeneration programme which has seen a re-introduction of previously extinct mammals and other species in the area thanks to grass and tree planting programs.
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai resort has made a name for itself in the world of ecotourism, demonstrating through its efforts that sustainability and luxury can coexist and complement each other. Next to its various eco-friendly measures such as turning cooking oil into biodiesel, the resort offers its guests an opportunity to stay overnight in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR). The resort also prides itself in its desert regeneration programme which has seen a re-introduction of previously extinct mammals and other species in the area thanks to grass and tree planting programs.
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Habitas AlUla in Saudi Arabia
Habitas AlUla offers its guests a wide range of eco-friendly experiences within its six programming pillars: music, wellness, adventure, culture, learning, and culinary. Habitas AlUla is a sustainable 5-star resort located in a desert valley in Saudi Arabia. Next to the resort’s various sustainable operational strategies, Habitas AlUla offers its guests a wide range of eco-friendly experiences within its six programming pillars: music, wellness, adventure, culture, learning, and culinary. For Earth Day 2022, the resort developed a full eco program with experiences ranging from documentary screenings to nature walks, sound healing and an Earth Day Menu. Other activities offered at the resort include weekly outdoor screening, cultural walks, lectures, canyon hikes, yoga, meditation and breathing exercises.
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In addition to the case studies highlighted above, there are other similar case studies in the MENA region that demonstrate how sustainability can be effectively integrated in a resort’s business strategy and daily operations. The desert ecolodge Adrère Amellal in Egypt, which operates without electricity or gas. Zighy Bay, Six Senses’ first resort in the Middle East, produces its own bottled water via reverse osmosis and the salt water, which is filtered out during the process, is used in a salt water pool.
Case study 4: Global best practices in luxury hotels
Three Camel Lodge, a renowned 5-star eco resort in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, was developed with the vision of creating the country’s most inspiring and sustainable ecolodge. To respect the landscape and cultural heritage, the resort was built to reflect traditional Mongolian
The three pillars of sustainable tourism, namely environmental stewardship, natural and cultural preservation, and community empowerment have been at the core of the lodge since their founding. Three Camel Lodge is proud to be the first lodge in the country to successfully eliminate all single-use plastic water bottles and aims to become completely plastic-free. Upon arrival, guests are offered a branded and stylish reusable metal bottle that they can use during their stay and refill throughout the property at several purified water stations.
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Longitude 131° is a luxurious 5-star resort situated in the outback of Australia within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park founded in 2002. The resort is a member of Baillie Lodges, a hotel group operating environmentally friendly lodges in remote locations. Packed with eco credentials, Longitude 131° offers a wide range of eco-friendly practices relating to the conservation of the desert ecosystem and is governed under a broad ranging Environmental Management Plan.
Packed with eco credentials, Longitude 131° offers a wide range of eco-friendly practices relating to the conservation of the desert ecosystem and is governed under a broad ranging Environmental Management Plan. In consideration of the local nature and culture, the lodge was constructed using techniques that minimize impact on the site and that if required, the infrastructure could be entirely disassembled and the site restored to its pre-development state.
The resort runs an extensive energy management programme. To conserve energy, tents are made of three layers of fabric for thermal and acoustic insulation. Floors are insulated and covered in natural stone for cooling in summer and to retain warmth in winter, while minimizing heat load on window glazing. Each dune house is fitted with solar panels on the roof to provide hot water and the swimming pool is warmed using an energy efficient heat-pump technology.
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Case study 5: Destination certification for sustainability
Slovenia’s development of sustainable tourism certification
The Strategy for Sustainable Growth 2017-21 set out the vision for Slovenia to become a ‘green, active and healthy destination’ and set the target of increasing international
tourism receipts to 3.7- 4 billion euro (US$4.3-4.7 BN). ‘Green, sustainable and responsible
development’ was established as a key pillar of Slovenian tourism, the country committed to sustainability ideals and altered the policy framework to provide support for the preservation and protection of natural and cultural assets and heritage and for responsible and sustainable tourism revaluation. This strategy included creation of a sustainable tourism certification. To initiate this, the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) contracted Ljubljana based responsible tourism experts Good Place to develop and implement a tourism certification system. Cognizant that a scheme needed to have global relevance as a starting point, a partnership was facilitated with Green Destinations to create a framework associated with the well-established and renowned GSTC-accredited Green Destinations certification. The certification framework was then used to develop a custom certification system capable of engaging businesses in the tourism industry throughout the tourism value chain. The framework additionally helped foster closer ties between destinations by encouraging them to work together to achieve common goals.
Türkiye’s Sustainable Tourism Industry Criteria
In view of transforming their tourism sector and embracing the principles of sustainable tourism, Türkiye partnered in 2022 with GSTC to develop national certification criteria for tourism businesses (primarily accommodation facilities and tour operators) and training programs for certifying organizations. Aligned with international standards and under the guidance of international and domestic stakeholders, the Sustainable Tourism Industry Criteria (TR-I) consists of 42 criteria and four main themes: sustainable management; socio-economic impacts; cultural impacts and environmental impacts. The certification closely aligns with the wider goals of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism, Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), which aims to increase tourism competitiveness by enriching the sustainability of products and services while helping tourism service providers “develop and promote (the country’s) tangible and intangible natural, cultural, biological and manmade heritage assets”. Since January 2024, over 15,000 tourism businesses and hotels have gone through the verification/certification process.
