Jetwing Hotels recognized at ITB Forum

In a month filled with awards and recognition, Jetwing Hotels was further brought into the limelight, being one of three winners chosen under the 'Inspiring Stories from Destinations' category at the Responsible Tourism forum at ITB Asia organized by Wild Asia. The entry focused on Jetwing's Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, known as the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme (JEEP), which covers all measures and activities undertaken by the company to uplift communities, implement sustainable practices and create a positive action for the environment.

The presentation took place at ITB Asia, Singapore, which is an annually held show and convention for those in the travel and hospitality industries. Every year, the Wild Asia team host a Responsible Tourism Forum which focuses on accounts of people and companies that have made a difference. Jetwing's presentation was met with much interest, along with much encouragement for the future.

"We are delighted and honoured to be chosen as one of the winners at this forum which is a further validation of all our efforts and achievements when it comes to sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka. The Responsible Tourism Forum was an ideal platform to showcase all our efforts coming under our JEEP programme to a wide international audience. The Programme is a major part of who we are. Helping communities, people, the environment has always been in our DNA. We are thankful to ITB Asia and Wild Asia for selecting us as winners and the opportunity to tell our story", Head of Sales and Marketing Ishanth Gunewardene said.

Jetwing Hotels has long believed that tourism cannot exist in isolation; only working well when there is an intimate relationship with communities, and through education of the future generations can Sri Lanka and the world, be sustained. Through the JEEP, Jetwing Hotels reaches children, teachers, individuals, and visitors, encouraging positive action for the environment.

Community Outreach Initiatives showcase the ongoing programmes carried out by the hotels which connect with the local community. Examples include the Jetwing Youth Development Programme (JYDP) that was implemented to provide opportunities for unemployed youth in rural areas in the hospitality sector and the Tuk Tuk Project which utilizes a taxi line from the local community to carry out the hotel-based excursions around Galle from Jetwing Lighthouse. Humanitarian programmes cover the regular community-based activities that are carried out throughout the year by all hotels. For example, Jetwing Lighthouse carries out several 'Shramadana' projects, the largest being the cleanup operation of the heavily polluted Mirissa Harbour in 2011 in collaboration with the local naval base and local whale watching operators. The Mirissa Harbour is the base from where whale watching tours run, which is estimated to now attract over 10,000 tourists each year.

Eco Projects are initiatives undertaken by Jetwing in the field of conservation and raising awareness on the environment. More recent initiatives include the demarcation of a Loris Conservation Site and establishment of a Loris Information Centre at Jetwing Vil Uyana and the opening of the Whale and Dolphin Centre at Jetwing Lighthouse to generate awareness and aid conservation and research efforts in Southern Sri Lanka on Blue Whales.

In addition to the above, 'Trees for Life' is an afforestation initiative undertaken by Jetwing at Talawila where hotel guests have the opportunity to make a contribution towards offsetting their carbon footprint. To date, over 3500 trees have been planted at both the previous site at Hunas Falls (3000+ trees from 2008 - 2011) and at Talawila (750 trees in 2012). In addition, each Jetwing hotel adopts two foster schools each year where awareness programmes are regularly carried out by the resident naturalists based at each hotel throughout the year targeting school children on topics relating to environmental conservation.