The Tribune

Blue Lagoon Island, home to the Dolphin Encounters attraction, has received the Travelife Partner award in recognition of its efforts to achieve long-term sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

The destination was found by Travelife to meet more than 100 criteria relating to its office management, product range, international business partners and customer information.

Travelife, which has been established with the support of the European Commission, is an international sustainability certifier in the travel industry. More than 35 national travel associations are promoting the scheme to their members, including ABTA, the British Travel Association; ABVR, the Dutch association of tour operators; and PATA.

Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for tour operators, said: “I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operators sector is obtaining momentum. The award of Blue Lagoon Island sets an example for The Bahamas’ tourism sector. It will inspire other companies to follow the same path.”

“Blue Lagoon island has for decades been committed to preserving and protecting the marine environment, and to operating in a sustainable manner,” said Robert Meister, its managing director. “We are proud to be the first in The Bahamas to receive this award, and we encourage others in our country to join us.

“Sustainability protects everything - our natural environment, the company’s success and, most importantly, our people and our way of life,” said Dr Ancellino Davis, sustainability co-ordinator for Blue Lagoon Island. “This award programme is recognition for the hard work that our colleagues throughout the Caribbean and the world are doing to make the locations we love last.”

Since 1989, Blue Lagoon Island has enabled Bahamians and visitors to interact with, and learn more about, marine mammals in an all-natural marine habitat. Home to native Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions and native Southern stingrays, it provides guests with eco-friendly Bahamian experiences through educational animal programs, nature walking tours, segway safaris, beach day programmes, and educational programmes offered to students.

Travelife, meanwhile, is a certification system for sustainable practices in the tourism industry. It provides companies with realistic sustainability goals, tools and solutions to implement positive change within their businesses and supply chains.

Travelife is managed by ABTA, the Travel Association in the UK, and ECEAT Projects, a not-for-profit organisation based in The Netherlands.