Eco-Tourism in Thailand
January 20, 2012
Project goal: Creating a blueprint for climate-friendly tourism
Methods: Installing solar and wind units, insulating buildings, installing air conditioning systems that allow for heat recovery, training hotel staff
Project scale: Two hotel resorts consisting of more than 70 bungalows
Project investment: 473,000 euros (around $620,000)
The island of Kho Khao in Thailand was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Recent years have seen developers rebuild hotels, but unlike in many of Thailand's most popular holiday hotspots, the new resorts have made climate protection a cornerstone of their concept – with the ultimate goal of reducing the island's carbon emissions by 20 percent. They've set the ball rolling: other resorts in the region and even further afield are now also switching to a more environmental brand of tourism.
A film by Michael Altenhenne