“We are all in trouble (and) if we continue doing what we are doing, global disaster is coming,” said visionary hotelier and eco-pioneer Ewald Biemans, the proprietor of Aruba’s acclaimed Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort.
“Climate change is a fact and if we don’t all take care of it, some of the hotels will have to move backwards a few hundred yards (from the shoreline),” said the former Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, imploring that it takes a whole community to mitigate the damage.
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort’s sustainability initiatives go far beyond towel- and electricity-saving programs. In fact, the team has made significant investments in eco-technologies and systems, as well as environmentally safe products.
The Four Diamond resort produces about 45 percent of its energy and has reduced its trash by 65 percent and food portions or waste by 30 percent. “And people are happy … people have a guiltless vacation staying with us (and) it’s an attraction,” said Biemans.
“We are carbon neutral … and it brings us a lot of business because there are people that are very conscious about climate change,” said the hotelier, who noted that his team’s efforts have generated millions of dollars in publicity over the years.
“It’s good financially because it saves money in the long run, it brings you business and it saves the environment, so how can you go wrong?” he asked, disclosing he remains “full of enthusiasm” to convince many more people to “join the bandwagon”.
Born in Austria, Biemans began his hospitality career with Hilton and InterContinental in South America.
After moving to Aruba in the early 1970s, Biemans managed The Coral Strand Hotel, later to become the Talk of the Town Restaurant and Resort. He subsequently co-owned and managed the Manchebo Beach Resort before developing Bucuti & Tara as the sole owner.
Bucuti Beach Resort opened in 1987; the resort’s luxury wing, the Tara Beach Suites, was added in 2014.
For more information about the resort’s sustainability program, visit https://www.bucuti.com/resort/eco-friendly#anchor-about-our-sustainability-program.
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